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CAVALRY    LIFE 


IN 


TENT  AND  FIELD 


BY 

MRS.  ORSEMUS  BRONSON  BOYD 


NEW  YORK 
J.  SELWIN  TAIT  &  SONS 

65  Fifth  Avenue 
1894 


F 


i'=iH 


TH^ 


COPTKIGIIT,    1894, 
BY 

Mas.  OuSKMUS  Bronson  Boyd. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 


C.  J.  PETEBS  &  SON, 

Type-settees  ani»  Ei.ecteotypebs, 
jj06ton,  u.s.a. 


CAVALRY    LIFE 


IN 


TENT  AND  FIELD. 


TO  MY  DEAR  BROTHER 
JAMES, 

5  Qenicate  tfjis  ILittle  Book 

AS  A  FAINT  TOKEN  OF  GRATITUDE  FOR  THE   LOVE  THAT 
A  WHOLE  LIFETIME  OF  DEVOTION  WOULD 

not  be  sufficient  to  repay. 

The  Author. 


PEEFACE 


I  TAKE  pleasure  in  directing  attention  to  the 
kind  and  affectionate  tribute  paid  my  husband, 
Captain  Orsemus  Bronson  Boyd,  and  contained 
in  the  Appendix  of  this  volume.  It  is  from  the 
pen  of  a  former  classmate,  the  gifted  writer. 
Colonel  Richard  Henry  Savage. 

I  trust  my  readers  will  not  think  this  intro- 
duction too  lengthy.  The  perusal  of  it  seems 
necessary  to  a  proper  understanding  of  my 
reasons  for  describing,  in  the  following  pages, 
the  pains,  perils,  and  pleasures  experienced  by 
land  and  sea  in  the  various  peregrinations  of  a 
cavalry  officer's  wife.  With  Colonel  Savage's 
testimonial  it  furnishes  a  completeness  to  the 
narrative  that  would  otherwise  be  lacking. 

In  1861,  when  every  heart,  both  North  and 
South,  was  fired  by  military  ardor,  two  brothers, 

7 


8  PREFACE. 


named  Amos  and  Orsemus  Boyd,  lived  in  the 
small  town  of  Croton,  Delaware  County,  New 
York  State.  Immediately  on  the  declaration  of 
civil  war  they  experienced  but  one  desire  —  tc^ 
join  the  Northern  Army.  The  brothers  had 
lost  their  mother  when  very  young,  but  the 
stepmother  their  father  had  given  them  always 
endeavored  to  faithfully  fill  her  place. 

Additions  to  the  family  circle  of  a  tiny  boy 
and  girl  had  only  cemented  its  happy  relations. 
Amos  and  his  brother  were,  however,  at  the 
ages  when  boys  welcome  any  escape  from  a  life 
of  wearisome  monotony.  Farm  life,  with  its  end- 
less routine  of  seed-time  and  harvest,  stretched 
before  them  a  barren  horizon.  But  neither  was 
old  enough  to  enlist  without  his  father's  sanc- 
tion. Amos  was  less  than  eighteen  years  of 
age,  and  his  brother  but  sixteen.  Months 
passed  before  the  father  could  be  persuaded  to 
give  even  a  reluctant  consent  to  the  fervid 
desire  of  his  sons  to  join  the  army.  Finally  it 
was  gained,  though  he  afterward  sorely  re- 
pented, and  begged  his  wife  to  also  spare  him 


PREFACE. 


from  her  side,  that  he  might  accompany  his 
boys.  He  could  not  endure  the  thought  of  his 
youthful  sons  departing  for  the  scenes  of  such 
dangei*s  without  his  sheltering  presence. 

By  what  means  Mrs.  Boyd  was  induced  to 
consent  to  her  husband's  enlistment  can  only  be 
understood  by  those  who  recall  the  loyal  sen- 
timents expressed  by  women  in  1861.  Our 
country  was  then  aglow  with  patriotism.  As 
in  the  South  women  gave  their  nearest  and 
dearest  to  the  cause,  so  in  the  North  they  were 
bereft  of  fathers,  husbands,  sons  and  brothers. 
In  the  little  town  of  Croton  every  family  sent 
at  least  one  representative  to  the  army,  and 
many  waved  adieu  to  all  its  male  members. 
This  left  to  women  the  severe  tasks  of  cultivat- 
ing farms  and  rearing  families. 

The  young  stepmother  of  the  lads  in  question 
not  only  lent  her  husband  to  his  country,  but 
during  the  entire  three  years  of  his  absence 
tilled  and  tended  the  farm,  and  so  well,  that  on 
his  return  it  had  not  only  improved  in  appear- 
ance, but  also  increased  in  value. 


10  PREFACE. 


It  requires  little  imagination  to  picture  the 
sad  parting  when  father  and  sons,  after  having 
enlisted   in   the   Eightj-ninth   Regiment    New 
York  Volunteers,  left  the  quiet  little  village  to  ' 
join  the  army. 

The  younger  son  was  not  at  first  permitted  to 
act  as  a  soldier  on  account  of  liis  youth.  Al- 
lowed to  carry  the  flag  at  the  head  of  the  com- 
mand, his  bravery  and  boldness  caused  liis  father 
incessant  anxiety.  At  the  battle  of  Camden, 
when  the  second  color  bearer  fell,  our  young 
hero  seized  his  flag  and  carried  that  also  until 
the  close  of  battle.  For  such  an  act  of  bravery 
General  Burnside  summoned  him  to  head- 
quarters, and  sent  him  home  on  recruiting 
service. 

Prior  to  this  young  Boyd  had  been  with 
Burnside's  expedition  off  Cape  Hatteras,  where 
for  twenty-six  days  the  soldiers  had  lain  out- 
side, shipwrecked,  and  obliged  to  subsist  on  raw 
rice  alone,  as  no  fires  could  be  built.  When 
they  finally  landed  on  Roanoke  Island  our 
young  lads  were  jubilant. 


PREFACE.  11 


Oi*semus  took  an  active  part  in  raising  the 
One  Hundi-ed  and  Forty-fourth  New  York  Vol- 
unteers, and  for  numberless  acts  of  bravery  was 
commissioned  second  lieutenant  of  Company  D, 
September,  1862.  By  reason  of  the  senior  offi- 
cers' absence"  he  was  for  months,  though  but 
eighteen  years  of  age,  in  command  of  a  company 
of  soldiei-s  in  which  his  father  and  elder  brother 
were  enlisted  men.  Perhaps  no  incident,  even 
in  those  stirring  war  times,  was  more  unusual. 

The  young  lieutenant's  father  spent  much 
time  and  effort  in  endeavoring  to  restrain  his 
young  son's  ardor  and  ambition,  which  if  un- 
checked would  no  doubt  have  resulted  either  in 
rapid  promotion  or  an  early  grave.  The  lad 
knew  no  fear,  and  was  always  in  the  front  of 
battle.  His  name  was  again  and  again  men- 
tioned in  "General  Orders"  for  ''meritorious 
conduct." 

Sadder  than  their  home  leaving  was  the 
return,  two  yeara  later,  of  father  and  youngest 
boy,  who  went  back  to  lay  the  remains  of  their 
eldest  son  and  brother  in  the  grave  beside  his 


12  PREFACE. 


mother.  Amos  had  served  his  country  well, 
and  met  the  fate  of  many  other  brave  soldiers. 

In  addition  to  this  sorrow  the  father  con- 
stantly feared  lest  his  second  son  should  also 
experience  a  soldier's  death ;  and  while  the 
father's  heart  glowed  with  pride  at  the  encomi- 
ums lavished  upon  his  boy's  bravery,  and  the 
merited  rewards  it  had  already  received,  yet  the 
fear  of  losing  him  was  strongest,  and  at  that 
home  coming  a  compromise  was  effected. 

The  member  of  Congress  from  their  district, 
desirous  of  finding  an  acceptable  appointee  to 
West  Point,  chose  the  gallant  young  lieutenant, 
who  unwillingly  accepted.  Two  years  of  active 
service  had  proved  his  essential  fitness  for  the 
profession  of  arms. 

With  a  heart  burdened  with  sorrow,  and  yet 
not  entirely  hopeless,  the  father  of  two  brave 
sons  returned  alone  to  his  regiment,  and  finished 
three  years  of  service  with  our  noble  Army  of 
the  Potomac. 

Orsemus  Boyd  entered  West  Point  in  June, 
1863,  after  having  spent  a  short  time  in  prepa- 


PBEFACE.  13 


ration.  No  doubt  his  years  of  service  at  the 
front  had  given  the  lad  ideas  at  variance  with 
the  whims  of  those  young  men  who  had  al- 
ready passed  their  first  year  at  the  academy. 

Any  one  who  has  been  at  West  Point  knows 
that  a  newly  appointed  cadet,  or  "  plebe  "  as  he 
is  called,  is  expected  not  only  to  bow  before 
his  superior  officers  in  the  line  of  duty,  but  is 
compelled  to  endure  all  slights  and  snubs  that 
any  cadet  chooses  to  impose.  In  1863  the  dis- 
cipline in  that  respect  was  excessive. 

The  result,  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Boyd,  was  that 
he  became  unpopular  for  refusing  to  submit  to 
many  annoyances.  The  climax  was  reached 
when,  after  liaving  fought  with  one  cadet  and 
come  out  the  victor,  he  refused  —  having  dem- 
onstrated his  courage  and  ability  —  to  fight 
with  another,  a  man  who  had  criticised  the 
language  used  in  the  heat  of  battle,  and  was 
consequently  dubbed  a  coward.  This,  though 
exceedingly  trying  to  a  person  of  his  sensitive 
nature,  was  endured  with  the  same  patience  as 
were  subsequent  trials. 


14  PREFACE. 


After  the  furlough  year,  which  comes  whei\ 
the  first  long  two  years  of  cadet  life  have  passed, 
Mr.  Boyd  returned  to  West  Point  from  that 
most  desired  leave  of  absence,  with  renewed 
hope  and  courage.  Two  months  spent  in  his 
boyhood's  home,  cheered  and  strengthened  by 
the  love  of  many  friends,  enabled  him  to  go 
back  animated  by  fullest  intentions  to  ignore  all 
disagreeables  and  calmly  prepare  for  a  life  of 
usefulness.     But  it  was  not  to  be. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Boyd's  return  he  missed 
sums  of  money  brought  from  home,  but  said 
nothing  about  it,  as  he  had  few  confidants  and 
was  naturally  reticent. 

In  the  same  class  with  Mr.  Boyd  was  a  man 
who  had  entered  West  Point  at  the  avowed  age 
of  twenty-five,  though  undoubtedly  much  older, 
as  his  appearance  indicated.  During  war  time 
the  extreme  of  age  for  admission  there,  which 
before  and  since  was  and  is  limited  to  twenty- 
two  years,  had  been  extended  to  twenty-five. 
This  was  done  in  order  to  permit  young  men 
who  had  achieved  distinction  in   real  warfare 


PREFACE.  15 

the  opportunity  of  acquiring  a  military  educa- 
tion. So  this  man,  named  Casey,  had  entered 
at  the  acknowledged  age  of  twenty-five. 

He  was  absolutely  impecunious,  and  belonged 
to  an  Irish  family  in  very  humble  circumstances. 
Mr.  Boyd's  parents,  whose  ancestors  had  fought 
in  the  Revolutionary  War,  were  of  pure  and 
unadulterated  American  origin.  Yet  the  supe- 
rior age  and  cunning  of  the  elder  man  unfitted 
the  younger  to  cope  with  him.  Always  open 
and  above  board,  Mr.  Boyd  neither  knew  nor 
expected  tricks  of  any  kind,  and  hence  was  not 
prepared  to  meet  them. 

Mr.  Casey  was  compelled  to  procure  money 
at  all  hazards.  Before  entering  West  Point  he 
had  married.  That  fact,  if  known,  would  have 
dismissed  him  at  once  from  the  academy,  in 
accordance  with  the  laws  governing  that  insti- 
tution, which  permit  no  cadet  to  marry.  It 
therefore  became  the  object  of  Casey's  life  to 
conceal  all  knowledge  of  that  which,  if  known, 
would  have  proved  a  potent  factor  in  his  down- 
fall.    Consumed  with  ambition  and  the  desire 


16  PREFACE. 


to  reach  distinction  in  every  social  way,  he 
assiduously  cultivated  the  acquaintance  of  all 
cadets  who  could  in  any  manner  help  him 
upward. 

In  the  academy  at  that  time  were  several 
cadets,  sons  of  very  wealthy  parents,  who,  con- 
trary to  West  Point  rules,  kept  in  their  rooms 
at  barracks  large  sums  of  money.  That  was 
Casey's  opportunity,  for  he  had  constant  need 
of  it  with  which  to  silence  the  wife  who  had 
threatened  his  exposure.  So  great  was  the  con- 
fidence of  the  academy  classmates  in  each  other 
that  the  money  was  simply  placed  in  a  trunk,  to 
which  all  the  clique  had  free  access,  and  used 
as  a  general  fund. 

Government  supplies  cadets  with  all  neces- 
sary articles,  therefore  only  luxuries  need  be 
purchased,  and  the  limit  of  these  is  much 
reduced  by  the  absence  of  stores.  So  even  to 
those  generous  young  men  the  disappearance  of 
money  in  large  sums  became  puzzling,  and  led 
to  inquiries  which  developed  into  suspicions, 
and  a  plan  was  formed  to  mark  some  of  the  bills, 


PREFACE.  17 


and  thus  discover  the  evil-doer.  Mr.  Boyd,  by 
reason  of  his  unpopularity,  was  unaware  of 
these  movements,  and  he  had  told  no  one  of  his 
own  losses. 

The  cadets  had  informed  their  immediate 
commandant  that  money  was  constantly  being 
stolen  in  the  corps.  Agliast  at  such  a  state  of 
affairs,  he  had  authorized  and  selected  a  com- 
mittee of  eight  —  two  from  among  the  eldest 
members  of  each  company  —  to  find  and  punish 
the  thief.  In  an  unguarded  moment  the  com- 
mandant had  said: 

"If  you  find  tbe  offender,  you  can  deal  with 
him  as  you  deem  advisable." 

The  most  prominent  member  of  the  commit- 
tee was  Casey,  himself  the  real  culprit.  After 
a  perfunctory  search  through  quarters  occupied 
by  other  cadets,  they  reached  Mr.  Boyd's,  and 
found  nothing  to  reward  their  efforts.  At  that 
juncture  Casey  glanced  upward  at  a  pile  of 
books  lying  on  some  shelves,  and  said ; 

"  Let  us  look  in  that  large  dictionary." 

None  but  a  crowd  of  frantic  boys  could  have 


18  ,  PREFACE. 


failed  to  have  observed  how  promptly  he  had 
selected  the  veritable  book  in  which  the  money 
was  found,  where  subsequent  events,  as  well  as 
his  dying  confession,  proved  he  had  himself 
placed  it. 

Casey's  room,  shared  with  Cadet  Hamilton, 
was  directly  opposite  that  occupied  by  Mr. 
Boyd,  who  roomed  alone  because  of  his  unpopu- 
larity. Mr.  Boyd's  room  was  so  unguarded  and 
accessible,  that  no  doubt  Casey  had  frequently 
entered  it  and  taken  money  from  the  man  whom 
he  now  accused.  Casey  had  skillfully  songht  to 
direct  suspicion  in  every  way  toward  Mr.  Boyd. 
Long  had  he  wielded  his  baleful  influence,  to 
which,  though  no  one  had  observed  it,  all  had 
succumbed. 

Tlje  search  took  place  at  noon,  when  the 
main  body  of  the  corps  were  at  dinner.  On 
j\Ir.  Boyd's  return  to  his  room  he  found  it  filled 
with  cadets,  who  madly  accused  him  of  the 
crime.  White  with  horror  and  shame  unspeak- 
able, he  answered  their  charges  in  a  way  which 
would  have   convinced   any  judge   of    human 


PREFACE.  19 


nature  that  he  was  entirely  innocent.  Sinking 
to  his  knees,  and  raising  his  eyes  to  heaven,  he 
said: 

"  By  the  memory  of  my  dead  mother  I  swear 
I  know  nothing  whatever  of  this  money !  " 

To  any  one  who  knew  the  young  man's 
tender,  brave  soul,  and  how  hallowed  was  the 
memory  of  his  mother,  that  avowal  would  have 
sufficed.  But  it  was  not  an  occasion  for  calm 
and  deliberate  judgment.  The  supposed  cul- 
prit had  at  last  been  found,  and  he  was  in  the 
hands  of  Philistines.  No  thought  of  mercy  im- 
pelled any  of  those  young  men  to  hesitate  in 
their  cruelty.  With  brute  force  —  eight  men 
to  one  man  —  they  placed  Mr.  Boyd  in  confine- 
ment until  later  in  the  day,  when  at  dress 
parade  they  could  publicly  and  brutally  dis- 
grace him. 

I  now  quote,  from  a  published  account  by  an 
eye-witness,  the  scene  which  followed : 

"  It  was  a  cold,  sad,  lusterless  day.  The  air 
was  full  of  snow  and  the  cold  was  bitter. 
Orders  were  given  to  fall  into  ranks  in  the  area 


20  PREFACE. 


of  barracks  for  undress  parade.  The  cadet  ad- 
jutant commanded :  '  Parade  Rest.'  After  a 
pause  he  continued :  '  Cadet  captains  will  place 
themselves  opposite  their  respective  company 
fronts,  and  arrest  any  man  who  leaves  the 
ranks.' 

"  There  was  an  interval  of  the  most  profound 
stillness.  Then  above  the  wind's  howling  came 
the  sound  of  tramping  feet.  Across  the  broad 
porch  of  the  bari'acks  and  down  the  ste])s  came 
four  cadets,  bearing  between  them  a  man's  form. 
They  advanced  along  the  battalion's  front.  As 
they  turned,  the  adjutant  raised  liis  right  hand, 
and  forthwith  the  drums  and  fifes  beat  and 
wailed  out,  in  un melodious  and  unearthly  har- 
mony, the  terrible  tune  of  the  '  Rogue's  March.' 

"  On  they  came  ;  and  now  I  saw  affixed  to 
that  man's  breast  a  large  white  placard,  and  on 
it  the  words :  '  Coward  ! '  '  Liar  ! '  '  Thief  ! ' 
The  face  above  the  words  was  marble  wliite  as 
the  face  of  the  dead,  but  the  wild,  staring, 
blood-red  eyes  seemed  to  wail  and  shrink  in 
their  horrible  misery. 

"  The  four  cadets  passed  along  the  full  length 
of  the  battalion,  and  with  their  victim  turned 
down  the  slope  beyond  the  buildings  and  dis- 
appeared." 

On  their  way  to  the  South  Dock  the  perse- 
cuted man  broke  away  from  his  accusers,  but 
was  warned  to  "  beware  "  how  he  "  ever  set  foot 


PREFACE.  21 


again  upon  West  Point,"  and  threatened  with 
yet  worse  treatment  should  he  do  so. 

Genei-al  Cullom  was  then  in  command  at 
West  Point.  On  that  particular  evening  he 
was  returning  from  the  direction  of  the  dock 
toward  which  those  heartless  cadets  had  driven 
Mr.  Bo3'd,  when  he  met  the  young  man  face  to 
face.  Amazed  at  the  temerity  of  a  cadet  who 
could  boldly  face  him  in  civilian's  attire,  he 
halted  and  said : 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir?  Return  at  once  to 
your  quarters  ! " 

The  general's  fii-st  and  most  natural  thought 
was  that  Mr.  Boyd  had  dressed  himself  in  ci- 
vilian's clothes,  and  was  stealing  off  the  post  in 
search  of  amusement.  But  a  second  glance 
showed  him  a  face  full  of  grief  and  shame  —  a 
countenance  on  which  utter  woe  was  depicted. 
He  took  the  young  man  at  once  to  his  own 
quarters,  questioned  him,  and  found  to  his  dis- 
may that  the  cadets  had  perpetrated  a  most  un- 
precedented and  cruel  outrage. 

General  Cullom  determined  then  and  there 


22  PREFACE. 


that  the  matter  should  be  sifted  to  the  bottom. 
Mr.  Boyd  was  to  be  tried,  and  proven  either 
guilty  or  guiltless.  His  father  was  sent  for, 
and  the  son  allowed  to  return  home  pending 
the  investigation. 

What  greater  sorrow  can  be  imagined  than 
that  which  then  fell  upon  this  sorely  stricken 
family?  A  young  man  wlio  had  faced  the 
enemy's  fire  again  and  again,  who  had  already 
won  his  shoulder-straps  in  the  very  front  of 
war's  alarms,  to  be  charged  with  petty  thiev- 
ery, untruth,  and  cowardice!  His  stepmother 
said : 

"Had  our  son  been  accused  of  fighting 
hastily,  perhaps  too  readily,  I  could  have  be- 
lieved him  guilty.  But  for  the  sake  of  money 
Orsemus  never  could  have  done  wrong." 

Mr.  Boyd  had  been  supplied  by  his  father 
with  all  the  money  he  wanted,  and  at  his  own 
request  an  account  kept  of  it,  which  showed 
that  before  this  episode  he  had  spent  three  hun- 
dred dollars  —  a  large  sum  in  a  place  like  West 
Point,  where  every  need  is  supplied  by  govern- 
ment. 


PREFACE.  23 


The  court  of  inquiry  instituted  by  General 
Cullom  resulted  in  a  verdict  of  "not  guilty." 
In  the  eyes  of  the  cadets,  whose  insensate 
cruelty  had  warped  their  judgment,  it  was 
simply  a  Scotch  verdict  of  "  not  proven ;  "  and, 
though  acquitted,  the  defendant  was  thenceforth 
a  disgraced  and  dishonored  man. 

Mr.  Boyd  remained  at  the  academy  nearly 
two  years  longer,  until  his  graduation  in  June, 
1867.  During  all  that  time  he  was  completely 
ostracized,  and,  with  one,  or  possibly  two  excep- 
tions, never  exchanged  one  word  with  any  cadet, 
all  of  whom  regarded  him  as  a  coward.  But 
none  can  contemplate  such  a  life  without  mar- 
veling at  its  wonderful  courage.  Mr.  Boyd 
had  determined  to  graduate  with  honor,  and 
thus  show  the  world  that  he  possessed  such 
bravery  as  would  not  allow  false  charges  to  ruin 
his  whole  career. 

I  was  introduced  to  him  in  1866,  and  before 
our  meeting  had  heard  the  whole  story.  The 
first  look  into  his  frank  and  manly  countenance 
made   me   from   that   moment  his  stanch  and 


24  PREFACE. 


true  advocate.  I  was  then  attending  school  in 
New  York,  but  finished  in  July,  and  we  were 
married  in  October,  three  montlis  after  Mr. 
Boyd  graduated. 

Then  began  the  hardships  born  of  that  West 
Point  episode.  Of  course  such  bitter  and 
terrible  wrongs  could  not  have  been  done  a 
sensitive  man  without  their  affecting  his  whole 
life.  To  this  may  be  attributed  Mr.  Bo3^d's 
desire  to  go  West,  and  there  remain. 

It  engendered  in  him  a  great  unwillingness  to 
demand  even  his  just  dues ;  and  when  he  was 
ordered  to  leave  California  at  a  day's  notice, 
and   given   no   proper  transportation,  he   sub- 
mitted without  a  murmur.    As  I  shared  all  those 
hardships,  and   shall   always  feel  their  effects, 
.  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  that  I  attribute 
.  them  all  to  the  West  Point  wrong  and  injury. 
Mr.  Boyd  could  have  entered  the  artillery 
branch   of   the   service   had  he  not  longed  to 
escape  all  reminders  of  that  terrible  experience, 
and  so  chose  the  Eighth  Cavalry,  which  was 
stationed  on  the  Pacific  coast. 


PREFACE.  25 


The  subsequent  hardships  endured  were  due 
not  only  to  the*  crude  state  of  affairs  at  the 
West  in  those  days,  but  also  to  the  crushed 
spirit  which  so  much  injustice  had  engendered 
in  my  husband.  He  could  not  bear  to  ask 
favors,  and  be,  perhaps,  refused.  Mr.  Boyd 
even  shrank  at  first  from  his  fellow-officers.  I 
know  that  no  enlisted  man's  wife  was  ever 
exposed  to  more  or  severer  perils  than  was  the 
young  school-girl  from  New  York  City ;  and  I 
consider  them  the  direct  result  of  those  sad 
yeai*s  at  West  Point. 

Mr.  Boyd  was  always  selected  in  after-years 
to  handle  the  funds  at  eveiy  post  where  we 
were  stationed,  which  distinctly  showed  how 
his  honor  was  regarded  by  men  competent  to 
judge.  But  it  resulted  in  countless  expeditions 
that  were  both  hazardous  and  expensive.  He 
was  sent  by  General  Pope  to  build  Fort  Bayard 
because  of  his  incorruptible  honesty ;  but  to  be 
so  constantly  changing  stations  added  greatly 
to  our  hardships. 

"  Vengeance  is  mine ;  I  will  repay,  saith  the 


26  PREFACE, 


Lord."  A  singular  evidence  of  the  truth  and 
justice  of  this  text  is  shown  in  the  meting  out 
to  those  eight  misguided  young  men  of  sorrow, 
misery,  and  sudden  death,  which  seems  to  me  a 
return  for  their  attempted  sacrifice  of  the  career 
and  honor  of  a  gallant  and  innocent  man.  The 
roll  is  a  terrible  one.  Casejs  after  confessing 
his  crime,  concealed  it,  aided  and  abetted  by 
Hamilton.  In  less  than  a  year  after  his  appar- 
ently honorable  graduation,  he  was  shot  by  one 
of  his  own  soldiei's.  Of  the  remainder,  two 
committed  suicide,  one  was  murdered,  one 
butchered  by  Modoc  Indians ;  while  family  sor- 
row, bankruptcy,  and  disappointment  or  un- 
timely death  have  caused  the  rest  to  mournfully 
regret  their  early  hastiness  and  error  of  judg- 
ment, and  the  acts  of  gross  cruelty  which  sprang 
therefrom. 

The  Author. 


CAVALRY    LIFE 


CHAPTER  I. 

Whether  or  not  these  personal  reminis- 
cences will  interest  the  public  remains  to  be 
determined ;  for  one  thing  the  narrator  can 
vouch,  and  that  is  they  are  not  in  the  least 
exaggerated.  Several  army  experiences  have 
of  late  been  printed,  and  when  in  recounting 
mine  I  have  often  been  asked  to  write  them,  it 
was  not,  as  I  then  thought,  for  the  purpose  of 
publication  ;  although,  as  they  have  been  un- 
usual, to  say  the  least,  I  have  been  tempted  to 
do  so ;  and  now  that  the  whole  course  of  my 
life  has  been  changed  I  have  reasons  for  issuing 
this  book  which  may  perhaps  plead  my  excuse 
should    the    narrative    prove    uninteresting   to 

some. 

27 


28  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

The  army  world,  though  a  small  one,  yet  ex- 
tends over  a  large  amount  of  territory.  My 
]  experience  of  it,  previous  to  marriage,  consisted 
in  seeing,  entirely  at  its  best,  beautiful  West 
Point,  which  I  considered  a  fair  type  of  every 
army  post;  so  when  I  married,  immediately 
after  his  graduation  from  there,  a  young  second 
lieutenant,  I  thought  that  however  far  we  might 
travel  such  a  home  would  always  be  found  at 
our  journey's  end. 

My  husband,  previous  to  his  four  yenYs  at 
West  Point,  as  narrated  in  the  preface,  had 
been  a  soldier  for  two  years  in  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  where  he  had  so  signalized  himself 
by  bravery  that  friends  united  in  urging  his 
father  to  remove  the  lad  from  the  perilous  sur- 
roundings of  active  warfare,  and  permit  him  to 
be  educated  in  the  profession  for  which  he  had 
shown  such  a  decided  talent.  He  was  at  that 
time  but  eighteen  years  old,  and  was  probably 
the  only  man  of  that  age  who  ever  commanded 
a  company  in  which  his  father  and  brother  were 
enlisted  men. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  29 


Mr.  Boyd's  previous  career  causing  him  to 
prefer  the  cavalry  branch  of  the  service,  applica- 
tion was  therefore  made  for  that;  so  when  ap- 
pointed he  was  ordered  to  San  Francisco.  Not 
knowing  whence  from  there  he  would  be  sent, 
as  some  of  the  companies  of  his  regiment  were 
in  Nevada,  some  in  Arizona,  and  others  in  Cali- 
fornia, it  was  deemed  unwise  for  me  to  accom- 
pany him,  so  I  remained  in  New  York. 

We  had  been  married  but  two  days,  and  it 
seemed  to  me  as  if  San  Francisco  was  as  far 
away  as  China,  particularly  as  there  was  then 
no  trans-continental  railroad.  Besides,  I  had 
lived  in  New  York  City  all  my  life,  and  con- 
sidered it  the  only  habitable  place  on  the  globe. 

Wlien  Mr.  Boyd  reached  San  Francisco  he 
was  assigned  to  a  station  in  Nevada,  which  was 
so  remote,  and  there  appeared  to  be  so  little 
hope  for  any  comfortable  habitation,  that  he 
wrote  me  the  prospect  for  my  journey  was  very 
indefinite. 

However,  with  the  hopefulness  of  youth,  he 
counted  on  a  far  more  speedy  accomplishment 


30  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

of  his  desires  than  anything  in  the  nature  of  the 
situation  seemed  to  warrant.  The  troops  had 
been  sent,  as  a  sort  of  advance  guard  and  pro- 
tective force  for  the  contemphited  Pacific  Rail- 
road, to  a  point  in  the  very  eastern  part  of 
Nevada.  The  camp  was  named  "  Halleck,"  in 
honor  of  General  Halleck,  and  the  accommoda- 
tions were  so  limited  that  ladies  were  hardly 
needed,  except  to  emphasize  the  limitations. 
Although  it  was  well  understood  that  I  could 
not  be  comfortably  located  until  summer,  yet  no 
second  hint  was  needed  when  in  mid-winter 
my  husband  wrote  that  I  might  come  at  least  as 
far  as  San  Francisco. 

In  the  middle  of  January  I  left  New  York 
on  one  of  the  fine  steamers  of  the  Pacific  Mail 
Steamsliip  Company.  The  three  weeks  en  route 
were  delightful,  and  tlie  change  from  bleak, 
cold  winter  to  the  tropical  scenes  of  Panama, 
and  thence  to  the  soft  and  balmy  air  of  the 
Pacific,  was  so  exhilarating  that  travel  was 
simply  a  continuous  pleasure. 

Upon  reaching  San  Francisco,  nothing  seemed 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  31 

more  natural  than  that  I  should  press  on,  in 
spite  of  the  protestations  of  friends,  who  said 
that  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  were  im- 
passable at  that  season,  and  who  predicted  all 
sorts  of  mishaps.  Nothing  daunted,  I  deter- 
mined at  least  to  try,  and  so  took  steamer  for 
Sacramento,  and  from  thence  train  to  Cisco,  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountains,  and  the  then  ter- 
minus of  the  Pacific  Railway.  After  leaving 
the  train  we  continued  our  journey  on  sleds,  in 
the  midst  of  a  blinding  snowstorm,  that  com- 
pelled us  to  envelop  our  heads  in  blankets. 

The  snow,  however,  did  not  last  many  miles, 
and  we  were  soon  transferred  to  the  regular 
stage-coach,  a  large  vehicle  with  thorough- 
braces  instead  of  springs,  and  a  roomy  interior 
which  suggested  comfort.  Alas  !  only  sug- 
gested! Possibly  no  greater  discomfort  could 
have  been  endured  than  my  companion  and 
self  underAvent  that  night.  Those  old-fash- 
ioned stage-coaches  for  mountain  travel  were 
intended  to  be  well  filled  inside,  and  well 
packed  outside.     But  it  so  happened  that  in- 


32  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

stead  of  the  usual  full  complement  of  passen- 
gers, one  other  woman  and  myself  were  all. 

A  pen  far  more  expert  than  mine  would  be 
required  to  do  justice  to  the  horrors  of  that 
night.  Though  we  had  left  Cisco  at  noon,  we 
did  not  reach  Virginia  City,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  mountains,  until  ten  o'clock  next  morn- 
ing. As  long  as  daylight  lasted  we  watched  in 
amazement  those  wonderful  mountains,  which 
should  have  been  called  "Rocky,"  for  they 
have  enormous  precipices  and  rocky  elevations 
at  many  points;  from  the  highest  we  gazed 
down  into  ravines  at  least  fifteen  hundred  feet 
below,  and  shuddered  again  and  again. 

One  point,  called  Cape  Horn,  a  bold  promon- 
tory, is  famous,  and  as  great  a  terror  to  stage- 
drivers  as  is  the  cape  from  which  it  takes  its 
name  to  navigators.  We  peered  into  endless 
precipices,  down  which  we  momentarily  expected 
to  be  launched,  for  the  seeming  recklessness  of 
our  driver  and  extreme  narrowness  of  the  roads 
made  such  a  fate  appear  imminent. 

Our  alarm  did  not  permit  us  to  duly  appreci- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  33 

ate  the  scenerj^'s  magnificent  grandeur;  besides, 
every  possible  effort  was  required  to  keep  from 
being  tossed  about  like  balls.  We  did  not 
expect  to  find  ourselves  alive  in  the  morning, 
and  passed  the  entire  niglit  holding  on  to  any- 
thing that  promised  stability.  An  ordinary 
posture  was  quite  impossible :  we  had  either  to 
brace  oui-selves  by  placing  both  feet  against  the 
sides  of  the  vehicle,  or  seize  upon  every  strap 
within  reach. 

Long  before  morning  all  devices,  except  the 
extreme  one  of  lying  flat  on  the  bottom  of  the 
coach  and  resigning  ourselves  to  the  inevitable, 
had  failed.  Every  muscle  ached  with  the  strain 
that  had  been  required  to  keep  from  being 
bruised  by  the  constant  bumping,  and  even 
then  we  had  by  no  means  escaped. 

We  had  supped  at  Donner  Lake,  a  beautiful 
spot  in  the  very  heart  of  the  mountains,  made 
famous  by  the  frightful  sufferings  of  the  Don- 
ner party,  which  had  given  the  lake  its  name, 
and  which  has  been  so  well  described  by  Bret 
Harte   in    "Gabriel   Conroy,"    that   a   passing 


34  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

mention  will  suffice.  It  proved  an  unfortunate 
prelude  to  our  eventful  night ;  for  in  the  midst 
of  our  own  sufferings  we  were  compelled  to 
think  of  what  might  befall  us  if  we,  like  that 
ill-fated  party,  should  be  left  to  the  mercy  of 
those  grand  but  cruel  mountains,  which  already 
seemed  so  relentless  in  their  embrace  that  al- 
though haste  mea'nt  torture  yet  we  longed  to 
see  the  last  of  them. 

The  bright  sun  shone  high  overhead  long 
before  we  reached  Virginia  City,  where  I  saw 
for  the  first  time  a  real  mining  town.  It  is  not 
my  purpose  to  describe  what  has  been  so  ably 
done  by  others,  but  simply  confine  mj^self  to  per- 
sonal experiences ;  and  I  will,  therefore,  merely 
state  that  I  gladly  left  Virginia  City,  knowing 
that  soon  after  we  should  emerge  from  moun- 
tain roads,  and  on  level  plains  be  less  tortured. 

We  were  not,  however,  quite  prepared  for 
the  method  that  made  jolting  impossible,  and 
which,  being  the  very  extreme  of  our  previous 
night's  journey,  was  almost  equally  unendura- 
ble.    On  leaving  the  breakfast-table  at  Virginia 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  35 


City,  we  were  greatly  surprised  to  find  our 
coach  almost  full  of  passengers ;  but  we  climbed 
in,  and  for  five  da3^s  and  nights  were  carried 
onward  without  the  slightest  change  of  any 
sort.  There  was  a  front  and  back  seat,  and 
between  the  two  a  middle  one,  which  faced 
the  back  that  we  occupied.  Whenever  in  the 
course  of  the  succeeding  five  days  and  nights  it 
was  needful  to  move  even  our  feet,  we  could 
only  do  so  by  asking  our  vis-d-vis  to  move  his 
at  the  same  time,  as  there  was  not  one  inch  of 
space  unoccupied. 

The  rough  frontiersmen  who  were  our  fellow- 
passengers  tried  in  every  way  to  make  our  sit- 
uation more  endurable.  After  we  had  sat  bolt 
upright  for  two  days  and  nights,  vainly  trying 
to  snatch  a  few  moments'  sleep,  which  the  con- 
stant lurching  of  the  stage  rendered  impossible, 
the  two  men  directly  facing  us  proposed,  with 
many  apologies,  that  we  should  allow  them  to 
lay  folded  blankets  on  their  laps,  when,  by  lean- 
ing forward  and  laying  oui-  heads  on  the  rests 
thus    provided,    our   weary   brains   might  find 


36  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

some  relief.  We  gratefully  assented,  only  to 
find,  however,  that  the  unnatural  position  ren- 
dered sleep  impossible,  so  decided  to  bear  our 
hardships  as  best  we  could  until  released  by 
time. 

Our  only  respite  was  when  the  stage  stopped 
for  refreshments ;  but  as  we  experienced  all  the 
mishaps  consequent  upon  a  journey  in  mid-win- 
ter,  such  as  deep,  clinging  mud,  which  made 
regular  progress  impossible,  we  frequently 
found  that  meals  were  conspicuous  by  their 
absence;  or  we  breakfasted  at  midnight  and 
dined  in  the  early  morning.  The  food  was  of 
the  sort  all  frontier  travelers  have  eaten  —  bis- 
cuits almost  green  with  saleratus,  and  meats 
sodden  with  gr.ease,  which  disguised  their  nat- 
ural flavors  so  completely  that  I  often  wondered 
what  animals  of  the  prairies  were  represented. 

The  names  of  our  stopping-places  were  pre- 
tentious to  such  a  degree  that  days  passed  be- 
fore I  was  able  to  believe  such  grand  titles 
could  be  personated  by  so  little.  I  also  noticed 
that    a    particularly   forbidding    exterior,   and 


CAVALEY  LIFE.  37 

interior  as  well,  would  be  called  by  the  most 
high  sounding  name. 

Alas  for  my  hopes  of  escape  from  mountain 
travel !  How  gladly  would  I  have  welcomed 
some  mountains  instead  of  the  endless  mo- 
notony of  that  prairie  !  Nevada  is  particularly 
noted  for  the  entire  absence  of  trees,  and  the 
presence  of  a  low,  uninteresting  shrub  called 
sage-brush.  It  looks  exactly  as  the  name  indi- 
cates, is  a  dingy  sage-green  in  color,  and,  with 
the  exception  of  a  bush  somewhat  darker  in 
hue  and  called  grease-wood  because  it  burns 
so  readily,  nothing  else  could  be  seen,  not  only 
for  miles  and  miles,  but  day  after  day,  until  the 
weary  eye  longed  for  change.  At  dusk  imagi- 
nation compelled  me  to  regard  those  countless 
bushes  as  flocks  of  sheep,  so  similar  did  they 
appear  in  the  dim  light,  and  I  was  unable  to 
divest  my  mind  of  that  idea  during  our  entire 
stay  in  Nevada. 

With  such  a  state  of  affairs  sleep  was  out  of 
the  question,  and  consequently  nights  seemed 
endless.     I  considered  myself  fortunate  in  hav- 


38  CAVALBY  LIFE. 

ing  an  end  seat,  and  often  counted  the  revolu- 
tions of  the  wheels  until  they  appeared  to  turn 
more  and  more  slowly,  when  I  would  propound 
that  frequent  query  which  always  enraged  the 
driver : 

"  How  long  hefore  we  reach  the  next  station  ?  " 

I  remember  one  night  we  made  eight  miles 
in  fifteen  hours,  and  the  next  day  fifteen  miles 
in  eight  hours.  Both  seemed  wearily  slow ;  but 
according  to  our  driver  the  roads  were  to  blame. 

That  night  the  monotony  was  relieved  by 
what  we  considered  a  very  pleasing  incident,  as 
it  afforded  some  excitement.  A  rather  small 
pig  decided  to  accompany  us,  and  some  of  the 
passengers  made  our  driver  frantic  by  betting 
on  piggy  winning  the  race :  as  a  fact,  he  did 
reach  the  station  first.  I  felt  quite  dejected  at 
having  to  leave  him  there  ;  for  in  our  lonely 
journey  we  longed  for  companions  in  misery, 
and  he  seemed  very  miserable  during  that  weary 
night. 

Notwithstanding  the  level  monotony  of  the 
country,  we  were  constantly  being  brought  up 


CAVALBT  LIFE.  39 

short  by  gullies  which  crossed  our  road.  The 
sensation  was  akin  to  that  one  experiences 
when  arrested  by  the  so-called  "thank-you- 
niums,"  met  with  in  Eiistern  rural  districts. 

As  the  very  tiniest  streams  in  the  West  are 
designated  livers,  we  were  always  expecting, 
only  to  be  disappointed,  great  things  in  that  line. 
At  last,  when  we  reached  Austin,  and  saw  that 
the  Reese  River  could  be  stepped  across,  all 
expectations  of  future  greatness  in  the  way  of 
rivers  were  relinquished. 

Austin,  at  that  time  a  very  small  mining 
town,  was  so  insignificant  as  to  be  regarded  as 
merely  a  mile-stone  on  the  journey.  We  gladly 
left  it  to  continue  our  travels,  which  soon  be- 
came less  monotonous  by  reason  of  low  moun- 
tains that  we  crossed  in  the  night,  before 
reaching  what  I  had  hoped  was  to  be  the  end  of 
my  long  stage-ride. 

Mr.  Boyd  had  arrived  first  at  the  military 
camp  at  Ruby,  where  we  remained  two  days 
to  rest  before  continuing  our  journey.  This 
was  necessary,  as  the  loss  of  sleep  for  five  long 


40  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

nights  had  so  prostrated  me  that  when  I  found 
myself  in  a  recumbent  position,  consciousness  to 
all  outside  surroundings  was  so  completely  lost 
that  the  intervening  day  and  night  were  entirely 
blotted  out. 

I  no  longer  felt  particularly  young.  Experi- 
ence and  the  loss  of  sleep  had  aged  me.  Yet 
knowing  that  the  years  which  had  passed  over 
my  head  were  as  few  as  were  consistent  with 
the  dignity  of  a  married  woman,  I  was  taken 
quite  aback  when  one  of  the  employees  con- 
nected with  the  stage  station  asked  my  hus- 
band : 

"  How  did  the  old  woman  stand  the  trip?  " 

I  listened  intently  for  his  answer,  fully  ex- 
pecting to  hear  the  man  severely  rebuked,  if 
not  laid  flat ;  but  Mr.  Boyd  understood  human 
nature  better  than  I,  and  in  the  most  polite 
tones  replied : 

"  Thank  you,  very  well  indeed." 

We  were  then  within  about  one  hundred 
miles  of  our  destination.  Fort  Halleck,  Nevada, 
and  the  remainder  of  our  journey  was  to  be 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  41 


made  in  an  entirely  different  vehicle  from  the 
stage-coach  —  a  government  ambulance,  and 
in  this  case  the  most  uncomfortable  one  I  have 
ever  seen.  Many  are  delightful;  but  that  was 
an  old,  worthless  affair,  and  instead  of  the  usual 
comfortable  cross  seats  had  long  side  ones,  which 
covered  with  slippery  leather  made  security  of 
position  impossible.  My  trunk  was  first  placed 
inside,  then  a  huge  bundle  of  forage,  which  left 
only  room  for  two  people  near  the  door. 

We  jogged  on  monotonously  the  first  day, 
seeing  the  same  scenery:  it  seemed  to  me  a 
duplicate  of  that  looked  upon  for  days  past. 
Very  thankful  I  was,  however,  for  the  absence 
of  any  steep  hills;  for  we  fully  expected,  at  the 
first  climb,  to  be  buried  under  my  own  huge 
trunk,  which  appeared  to  have  as  great  a  ten- 
dency to  shift  its  position  as  I  had. 

Instead  of  feeling  a  womanly  pride  in  the 
possession  of  an  abundant  wardrobe,  I  ruefully 
wished  most  of  it  had  been  left  behind,  more 
especially  as  the  stage  company  charged  a  dollar 
for  each  pound  of  its  weight.     The  combined 


42  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

amount  of  this  and  my  stage  fare  was  just  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  As  my  fare  by 
steamer  had  been  exactly  that  amount,  I  had, 
before  reaching  my  husband,  disposed  of  five 
Imndred  dollars,  in  return  for  whicli  five  seem- 
ingly endless  days  and  sleepless  niglits  of  tire- 
some travel  had  been  endured,  together  with 
many  bumps  and  bruises. 

One  of  the  objects  I  have  in  writing  these 
adventures  is  to  show  how  an  army  officer  is 
compelled  to  part  with  all  he  obtains  from  the 
government  in  paying  expenses  incurred  bj'  end- 
less journeys  through  newly  settled  countries. 

But  to  resume  our  ambulance  trip.  As  night 
approached  the  motion  ceased,  and  I  doubt  if 
mortal  was  ever  more  amazed  than  I  when  told 
we  were  to  go  no  farther.  Not  a  sign  of  habi- 
tation was  in  sight !  Nothing  but  broad  plains 
surrounded  us  on  all  sides !  Not  even  a  tree 
could  be  seen,  and  the  four  mules  had  to  be 
hitched  to  our  ambulance  wheels,  as  tiny  bushes 
were  not,  of  course,  available  for  such  a  pur- 
pose.    A  fire  was  made  of  grease- wood,  a  piece 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  43 

of  bacon  broiled  on  the  coals,  and  a  huge  pot  of 
coffee  served  in  quart  tin  cups,  which  is  the 
only  way  soldiers  condescend  to  drink  it,  as  no 
less  amount  will  suffice,  coffee  being  their  great- 
est solace  on  long  marches. 

That,  my  first  real  experience  in  camping  out, 
was  indeed  novel.  The  knowledge  that  except 
one  tiny  dot  in  the  wilderness  — our  ambulance 
—  we  had  no  resting-place,  gave  me  a  curiously 
homeless  feeling  that  was  indeed  cheerless. 

When,  a  little  later,  we  sought  our  couch,  it 
proved  to  be  anything  but  downy.  My  trunk 
and  the  forage  had  been  taken  out,  and  the 
seats,  always  made  as  in  a  sleeping-car  so  that 
the  backs  let  down,  formed  the  bed.  It  was 
not,  however,  altogether  uncomfortable,  as  we 
had  plenty  of  blankets. 

Soon  after  falling  asleep  I  was  awakened  by 
what  seemed  to  be  a  complete  upheaval  of  our 
couch.  I  was  thoroughly  terrified  and  pre- 
pared for  almost  anything;  but  examination 
showed  that  our  alarm  was  caused  by  one  of 
the  mules,  that  had  worked  his  way  under  our 


44  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

ambulance,  and  in  attempting  to  rise  had  almost 
upset  it.  A  readjustment  of  the  lines  hy  which 
a  mule  was  tied  to  each  wheel  somewhat  re- 
assured me ;  but  those  playful  attempts  to  either 
upset  or  drag  our  extemporized  couch  in  any 
direction  in  which  the  mules  felt  inclined  to  go, 
resulted  in  our  passing  a  restless  night.  Some- 
times one  mule  would  be  seized  with  an  am- 
bitious desire  to  break  away ;  this  w^ould  rouse 
the  other  three,  who  would  each  in  turn  attempt 
to  stampede,  and  but  for  the  driver's  timely 
assistance  it  is  difficult  to  state  what  might 
have  happened,  as  our  vehicle  was  not  suf- 
ficiently strong  to  withstand  such  violent 
wrenches. 

When  morning  dawned  we  resumed  our 
march,  and  great  was  my  joy  on  learning  that 
we  would  have  four  walls  around  us  during  the 
two  succeeding  nights.  I  was,  however,  rather 
startled  to  find  myself  disturbing  so  many  that 
evening,  for  when  we  reached  the  little  log  hut 
that  was  to  shelter  us,  it  proved  to  be,  though 
but  eighteen  feet  square,  the  abode  of  ten  men. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  45 


In  all  the  log  cabins  at  which  we  stopped  a  bed 
occupied  one  corner  of  their  only  room.  Those 
beds  were,  of  coui-se,  only  rough  bunks  of  un- 
planed  pine  timber;  but  by  reason  of  being 
raised  above  the  mud  floors  formed  very  de- 
sirable resting-places. 

The  almost  chivalrous  kindness  of  frontiers- 
men has  become  proverbial  with  women  who 
have  traveled  alone  in  the  far  West,  where  the 
presence  of  any  member  of  the  sex  is  so  rare 
the  sight  of  one  seems  to  remind  each  man  that 
he  once  had  a  mother,  and  no  attention  which 
can  be  shown  is  ever  too  great.  When,  there- 
fore, our  hosts  saw  my  reluctance  to  deprive 
them  of  wliat  must  have  been  occupied  by  at 
least  two  of  their  number,  they  assured  me  I 
would  confer  a  favor  by  accepting  the  proffered 
hospitality.  Althougli  shrinking  from  the  prox- 
imity of  so  many  men,  yet  remembering  my 
shaky  bed  of  the  previous  night,  I  was  glad  to 
find  refuge  behind  the  improvised  curtains 
which  they  deftly  arranged. 

It  seemed  indeed  odd  on  this  and  succeeding 


46  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


nights  to  see  huge,  stalwart  men  preparing  food, 
baking  the  inevitable  biscuits  in  Dutch  ovens 
over  the  coals  in  open  fireplaces,  and  being  so 
well  pleased  if  we  seemed  to  enjoy  what  was 
placed  before  us. 

Our  next  day's  journey  was  diversified  by  the 
discovery  that  our  vehicle  was  like  the  famous 
one-horse  shay,  likely  to  drop  in  pieces  ;  indeed, 
we  had  twice  to  send  back  several  miles  for  the 
tires,  which  had  parted  company  with  their 
wheels.  Such  a  condition  of  our  conveyance, 
coupled  with  several  other  mishaps,  led  us  to 
feel  very  dubious  as  to  our  destination  being 
eventually  reached  in  safety. 

On  arriving  at  the  cabin  in  which  our  third 
night  was  to  be  passed,  we  found  it  occupied  by 
fifteen  men.  As  usual,  we  were  ensconced  in 
the  only  bed.  I  tried  to  feel  doubly  protected, 
instead  of  embarrassed,  by  the  vicinity  of  so 
many  men  ;  nor  did  I  consider  it  necessary  to 
peer  about  in  an  effort  to  learn  how  they  dis- 
posed of  themselves.  I  well  knew  it  was  too 
cold  to  admit  of  any  sleeping  outside.      Being 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  47 

startled  by  some  noise  in  the  night,  I  drew  back 
the  curtains,  and  looked  on  a  scene  not  soon  to 
be  forgotten.  Not  only  were  the  men  ranged  in 
rows  before  us,  but  the  number  of  sleepers  had 
been  augmented  by  at  least  six  dogs,  which  had 
crept  in  for  shelter  from  what  I  found  in  the 
morning  was  a  severe  snow-storm,  that  covered 
the  ground  to  tlie  depth  of  ten  inches  or  more. 

Ou  the  last  day  of  that  long  journey  I  arose, 
feeling  particularly  happy  at  the  prospect  of 
soon  reaching  our  destination  ;  and  even  the 
sight  of  snow  did  not  disconcert  me,  as  I  rea- 
soned that  we  were  to  ride  in  a  covered  vehicle, 
and  with  only  twenty  miles  to  travei*se  had 
nothing  to  fear. 

Though  all  might  have  gone  well  had  our 
ambulance  been  strong,  but  \>wo  miles  of  the 
distance  had  been  covered  when  we  sank  in  an 
enormous  snow-drift.  Our  mules  had  wandered 
from  the  road  into  a  deep  gully,  and  in  trying 
to  pull  us  out  succeeded  in  extricating  only 
the  front  wheels  of  the  wagon,  so  farther  prog- 
ress in  that  vehicle  was  quite  impossible.     Noth- 


48  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

ing  could  be  done  except  call  upon  our  friends 
of  the  past  night  for  assistance,  which  they 
promptly  rendered,  sending  us  their  only  wagon 
—  an  open,  springless  one  —  which  seemed  so 
exposed  they  begged  me  to  return  to  the  cabin. 
But  my  anxiety  to  reach  our  journey's  end  was 
by  that  time  so  great  I  would  have  tried  to 
walk  could  no  other  mode  of  procedure  have 
been  found. 

So,  seated  in  the  very  center  of  the  wagon, 
Avith  as  much  protection  as  our  blankets  could 
afford,  we  rode  the  remaining  eighteen  miles, 
snow  falling  continually  and  rendering  it  im- 
possible to  distinguish  the  road.  Travel  under 
such  conditions,  and  especially  in  a  spiingless 
conveyance,  made  our  previous  jaunt  over 
mountains  fade  into  insignificance. 

The  day  seemed  endless ;  and  though  at  first 
I  kept  shaking  off  the  snow,  yet  when  we 
reached  our  destination,  after  riding  for  twelve 
long  hours,  I  had  become  so  worn  and  weary 
as  to  no  longer  care,  and  was  almost  buried 
beneath  it. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  49 

It  is  always  the  last  straw  which  breaks  the 
camel's  back,  and  that,  the  last  day  of  our  jour- 
ney, was  the  firet  on  which  I  had  felt  discour- 
aged ;  in  spite  of  constant  efforts  I  finally 
succumbed  to  our  doleful  surroundings,  and 
in  tears  was  lifted  out  and  carried  into  what 
proved  to  be  my  home  for  the  next  year. 


60  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER   II. 

When  courage  to  look  around  had  at  last 
been  mustered,  I  found  that  my  new  home  was 
formed  of  two  wall  tents  pitched  together  so 
the  inner  one  could  he  used  as  a  sleeping  and 
the  outer  one  as  a  sitting  room.  _  A  calico  cur- 
tain divided  them,  and  a  carpet  made  of  barley 
sacks  covered  the  floor.  In  my  weary  state  of 
mind  and  body  the  effect  produced  was  far  from 
pleasant.  The  wall  tents  were  only  eight  feet 
square,  and  when  windowless  and  doorless  ex- 
cept for  one  entrance,  as  were  those,  they 
seemed  from  the  inside  much  like  a  prison. 

As  I  lay  in  bed  that  night,  feeling  decidedly 
homesick,  familiar  airs,  played  upon  a  very  good 
piano,  suddenly  sounded  in  my  ears.  It  seemed 
impossible  that  there  could  be  a  fine  musical 
instrument  such  a   distance   from  civilization, 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  51 


particularly  when  I  remembered  the  roads  over 
which  we  had  come,  and  the  clinster  of  tents 
that  alone  represented  human  habitation.  The 
piano,  which  I  soon  learned  belonged  to  our 
captain's  wife,  added  greatly  to  her  happiness, 
and  also  to  the  pleasure  of  us  all,  though 
its  first  strains  only  intensified  my  homesick 
longings. 

This  lady  and  myself  were  the  only  women 
at  the  post,  which  also  included,  besides  our 
respective  husbands,  the  doctor  and  an  unmar- 
ried first  lieutenant.  The  latter,  as  quarter- 
master and  commissary,  controlled  all  supplies, 
and  could  make  us  either  comfortable  or  the 
reveree,  as  he  chose. 

Shortly  afterward  another  company  of  sol- 
diers, embracing  one  married  officer  and  two 
unmarried  ones,  joined  us;  but  at  first  our  troop 
of  cavalry  was  all.  The  men,  instead  of  living 
in  tents,  were  quartered  in  dugouts,  which,  as 
their  name  implies,  were  holes  dug  in  the 
ground,  warm  enough,  but  to  my  unaccustomed 
eyes  places  in  which  only  animals  should  have 


52  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

been  sheltered,  so  forbidding  and  dingy  did 
they  seem.  The  soldiers  were  not,  however, 
destined  to  spend  the  summer  in  such  accom- 
modations, for  by  that  time  very  comfortable 
barracks  had  been  erected. 

As  everything  in  the  life  I  then  led  was 
new  and  strange,  and  surroundings  have  always 
powerfully  influenced  me,  I  took  note  of  many 
things  which  it  seemed  should  have  been  rem- 
edied. One  which  greatly  troubled  me  was 
the  power  extremely  young  officers  exercised 
over  enlisted  men.  If  the  latter  were  in  the 
least  unruly,  most  fearful  punishment  awaited 
them,  which  in  my  opinion  was  not  commen- 
surate with  the  offense,  but  depended  entirely 
upon  the  mercy  and  justice  of  the  offender's 
superior  officer,  who  usually  but  a  boy  himself 
had  most  rigid  ideas  of  discipline. 

I  have  always  noticed  how  years  temper 
judgment  with  any  one  in  authority,  and  thus 
have  come  to  believe  that  no  very  young  man  is 
capable  of  wielding  it.  Situated  as  we  were  in 
tents,  so  the  slightest  sound  could  be  heard,  we 


CAVALUr  LIFE.  63 

were  made  aware  of  all  that  transpired  outside. 
When  an  enlisted  man  transgressed  some  rule 
and  was  severely  punished,  I  always  became 
frantic,  for  his  outcries  reached  my  ears,  and 
I  recognized  the  injustice  and  impropriety  of 
some  mere  boy  exercising  cruel  authority  over 
any  man  old  enough  to  be  his  father. 

Methods  have  completely  changed  in  the 
anny  since  that  time,  and  I  am  glad  to  state 
that  for  man}^  years  past  such  scenes  as  then 
wrung  my  heart  have  been  unknown;  but  in 
those  days  our  military  organization  was  so 
crude  many  things  were  permitted  which  are 
now  scarcely  remembered  by  any  one.  Our 
soldiers,  recruited  from  the  Pacific  coast,  then 
famous  for  the  demoralized  state  of  its  poorer 
classes,  were  indeed  in  need  of  firm  discipline ; 
but  it  required  men  with  more  experience  than 
those  young  officers  possessed  to  wield  it. 

I  always  have  had,  and  always  shall  have,  a 
tender,  sympathetic  feeling  for  American  sol- 
diers. In  fact,  most  of  the  kindly  help  which 
made  life  on  the  frontier  endurable  to  me  came 


54  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


from  those  men.  We  were  never  able  to  pro- 
cure domestic  help ;  it  was  simply  out  of  the 
question,  and  for  years  it  would  have  been 
necessary  for  me  either  to  have  cooked  or 
starved  but  for  their  ever-ready  service. 
.  To  cook  in  a  modern  kitchen,  or  even  in  an 
ancient  one,  is  not  so  dreadful ;  but  to  cook 
amid  the  discomforts  and  inconveniences  which 
surrounded  me  for  many  years  would  have  been 
impossible  to  any  delicately  nurtured  woman. 
I  recall  the  delight  with  which  an  offer  of  help 
from  a  soldier  in  that,  my  first  effort  at  house- 
keeping, was  welcomed.  Although  I  soon  be- 
came the  slave  of  my  cook's  whims,  because  of 
my  utter  inexperience  and  ignorance,  yet  his 
forethought  when  the  floor  was  soaked  with 
rain  in  always  having  a  large  adobe  brick 
heated  ready  to  be  placed  under  my  feet  Avhen 
dining,  will  never  be  forgotten. 

The  greatest  proof  of  devotion  I  ever  received 
was  when  tliat  man,  learning  that  the  laundress 
declined  longer  employing  her  services  in  our 
behalf,  saw  me  preparing  to  essay  the  task  my- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  55 

self.  To  prevent  that  he  rose  sufficiently  early 
to  do  the  work,  and  continued  the  practice  so 
long  as  we  remained  there,  despite  the  fact  that 
it  subjected  him  to  ridicule  from  other  soldiers ; 
and  so  sensitive  was  he  in  regard  to  the  subject 
that  I  never  unexpectedly  entered  the  kitchen 
while  he  was  ironing  without  noticing  his  en- 
deavors to  hastily  remove  all  trace  of  such 
occupation. 

As  the  season  was  severe  —  the  thermometer 
during  that  and  the  succeeding  winter  fre- 
quently fell  to  thirty-three  degrees  below  zero 
—  a  large  stove  had  been  placed  in  the  outer 
tent,  and  a  huge  fireplace  built  in  the  inner  one. 
A  large  pine  bunk,  forming  a  double  bed,  occu- 
pied nearly  all  the  spare  space,  and  left  only 
just  room  enough  in  front  of  the  fire  to  seat 
one's  self,  and  also  to  accommodate  the  tiniest 
shelf  for  toilet  purposes.  It  therefore  required 
constant  watchfulness  to  avoid  setting  one's 
clothing  on  fire;  and  among  other  ludicrous 
occurrences  was  the  following  : 

In   our  inability  to  find  suitable  places  for 


66  CAVALBY  LIFJE!. 

necessary  articles,  we  were  apt  to  use  most  in- 
appropriate ones.  On  the  occasion  referred  to, 
a  lighted  candle  had  been  placed  on  the  bed, 
where  my  husband  seated  himself  without  noti- 
cing the  candle.  Soon  arose  the  accustomed 
smell  of  burning,  and  I  executed  my  usual  ma- 
neuver of  turning  about  in  front  of  the  fire 
to  see  if  my  draperies  had  caught.  The  odor  of 
burning  continued  to  increase,  yet  I  could  find 
no  occasion  for  it. 

The  cause,  however,  was  discovered  when  I 
leaned  over  the  bed,  and  saw  that  a  large  hole 
had  been  burned  in  the  center  of  Mr.  Boyd's 
only  uniform  coat.  He  had  been  too  intent  on 
shielding  me  to  be  conscious  of  his  own  peril. 
It  was  an  accident  much  to  be  regretted,  for  our 
isolation  was  so  complete  that  any  loss,  however 
trifling,  seemed  irreparable  by  reason  of  our  re- 
moteness from  supplies.  A  lengthened  account 
of  our  difficulties  in  procuring  needed  articles 
during  this  and  many  subsequent  years  would 
seem  incredible. 

I  had  been  delighted  to  purchase,  at  the  stage 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  57 


station  where  we  stopped  previous  to  our  one 
hundred  miles'  ambulance  trip,  and  for  exactly 
the  amount  of  one  month's  pay,  a  modest  supply 
of  dishes  and  cooking  utensils.  Prior  to  their 
arrival  we  were  happy  to  obtain  our  meals  at 
the  house  of  the  quartermaster's  clerk ;  yet  I 
looked  eagerly  forward  to  my  first  attempt  at 
housekeeping,  and  daily  sought  to  induce  our 
quartermaster  to  send  for  the  goods.  At  last 
he  informed  us  that  they  were  on  the  way,  and 
then  began  tiresome  efforts  to  have  some  sort  of 
kitchen  and  dining-room  prepared. 

All  my  entreaties  resulted  only  in  a  number 
of  willows  being  stuck  in  the  ground  and  cov- 
ered with  barley  sacking.  Even  the  door  was 
composed  of  two  upright  and  two  cross  pieces 
of  willow  covered  with  sacking  ;  a  simple  piece 
of  leather,  wliich  when  caught  on  a  nail  served 
as  fastening  and  handle,  was  deemed  sufficient 
guard.  The  floor  was  primitive  ground,  and  in 
time,  as  it  became  hardened  by  our  feet,  was 
smooth  except  where  the  water  from  above 
wore  it  into  hollows.     No  efforts  of  mine  could 


58  CAVALUT  LIFE. 

ever  induce  the  powers  that  were  to  cover  the 
roof  so  as  to  exclude  rain.  At  first  some  old 
canvas  was  simply  stretched  over  it ;  but  as  the 
roof  was  nearly  flat  this  soon  had  to  be  replaced. 
By  degrees,  as  cattle  were  killed  for  the  sol- 
diers, we  used  the  skins  which  were  otherwise 
valueless,  lapping  them  as  much  as  possible. 
However,  they  formed  no  effectual  barrier  to 
melting  snow  or  falling  rain,  as  later  experience 
proved,  when  it  became  only  an  ordinary  occur- 
rence for  me  to  change  my  seat  half  a  dozen 
times  during  one  meal. 

Young  people  are  not  easily  discouraged, 
and  I  was  very  happy  when  informed  that  our 
housekeeping  goods  had  arrived  and  been  placed 
in  the  quarters  prepared  for  them.  An  omi- 
nous sound  which  greeted  our  ears  as  we  opened 
the  boxes  rather  dismayed  us ;  but  we  were  not 
prepared  for  the  utter  ruin  that  met  our  eyes. 
AVhat  had  not  been  so  brittle  as  to  break,  had 
been  rendered  useless  and  unsightly  by  having 
been  chipped  or  cracked ;  and  as  we  took  out  the 
last  piece  of  broken  ware  I  concluded  that  what 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  69 

was  left  might  be  sold  in  New  York  for  a  dol- 
lar. On  comparing  the  residue  with  the  inven- 
tory, we  discovered  that  half  the  goods  were 
missing. 

The  articles  had  been  bought  from  an  army 
officer  who  was  changing  stations,  and  were 
not  strictly  what  I  should  have  chosen.  Every- 
thing, however,  was  useful  there,  and  I  was 
rather  pleased  that  we  had  duplicates  of  nearly 
every  article,  although  results  showed  that  this 
had  tempted  the  freighters'  cupidity,  and  they 
had  fitted  themselves  out  with  the  primary  sup- 
ply; so  when  by  breakages  the  secondary  dis- 
appeared, we  had  really  nothing  of  any  conse- 
quence left.  Bitterness  was  added  to  sorrow, 
when  of  a  dozen  tumblers  only  the  debris  of  six 
were  found.  The  common  kitchen  ware  was 
too  solid  to  be  shattered,  but  everything  at  all 
fragile  was  in  fragments. 

The  triumph  with  which  we  evolved  from 
the  chaos  a  large  wash-bowl  and  pitcher,  which 
though  in  close  proximity  to  a  pair  of  flat-irons 
had  escaped  injury,  was   equaled  only  by  our 


60  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

chagrin  when  we  found  our  little  toilet  shelf 
too  small  to  hold  them,  and  were  therefore 
obliged  to  return  to  a  primitive  tin  basin, 
though  hoping  in  time  for  enough  lumber  to 
build  accommodations  which  would  allow  us 
the  luxury  of  white  ware. 

I  regret  to  state  that  the  climate  proved  too 
much  for  our  large  pitcher.  One  morning  we 
found  it  cracked  from  the  cold  to  Avhich  it  had 
been  exposed  in  the  out-door  kitchen,  in  which 
we  were  obliged  to  keep  it.  Our  basin  was 
cherished ;  but  on  the  anniversary  of  our  wed- 
ding-day I  nearly  sank  from  mortification  when 
Mr.  Boyd  came  into  our  tent,  which  was  filled 
with  friends  who  had  gathered  to  celebrate  the 
occasion,  carrying  the  wash-bowl  full  of  very 
strong  punch  which  he  had  concocted.  No 
thought  of  apologizing  for  our  lack  of  delica- 
cies occurred  to  me,  but  I  felt  compelled  to  ex- 
plain, in  the  most  vehement  fashion,  that  the 
wash-bowl  had  never  been  utilized  for  its  obvi- 
ous purpose  ;  in  fact,  this  was  the  first  period  of 
its  usefulness. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  61 

My  housekeeping  was  simplified  by  absolute 
lack  of  materials.     I  had,  as  a  basis  of  supplies, 

,  during  that  and  the  succeeding  two  years,  noth- 
ing but  soldiers'  rations,  which  consisted  en- 
tirely of  bacon,  flour,  beans,  coffee,  tea,  rice, 
sugar,  soap,  and  condiments.  Our  only  luxury 
was  dried  apples,  and  with  these  I  experimented 
in  every  imaginable  way  until  toward  the  last 
my  efforts  to  disguise  them  utterly  failed,  and 
we  returned  to  our  simple  rations.  I  was  un- 
able to  ring  any  changes  on  rice,  for  after  Mr. 
Boyd's  experience  with  General  Burnside's  ex- 
pedition off  Cape  Hatteras,  the  very  sight  of  it 
had  become  disagreeable  to  him. 

We  had  at  that  time  no  trader's  store  within 
two  miles,  which  was  a  matter  of  congratula- 
tion, for  when  we  indulged  our  desire  for  any 
change  of  fare,  however  slight,  we  felt  as  if  eat- 
ing gold.     Nothing  on  the  Pacific  coast  could 

'  be  paid  for  in  greenbacks ;  only  gold  and  silver 
were  used ;  and  when  an  officer's  pay,  received 
in  greenbacks,  was  converted  into  gold,  a  pre- 
mium of  fifty  per  cent  always  had  to  be  paid. 


62  CAVALUY  LIFE. 

That,  added  to  frontier  prices,  kept  us  poor  and 
hungry  for  years.  If  we  indulged  in  a  dozen 
eggs  the  price  was  two  dollars  in  gold.  If  we 
wanted  the  simplest  kind  of  canned  goods  to 
relieve  the  monotony  of  our  diet,  the  equivalent 
was  a  dollar  in  gold. 

I  had  always  disliked  to  offend  any  one  ;  but 
remarking  one  day  that  the  flavor  of  wild  onions 
which  permeated  the  only  butter  we  could  pro- 
cure, and  for  which  we  paid  two  dollars  and  a 
half  a  pound,  was  not  exactly  to  our  taste,  seri- 
ously offended  the  person  who  made  it.  I  quite 
rejoiced  thereat  when  she  refused  to  supply  us 
with  any  more,  feeling  that  a  lasting  economy 
had  been  achieved  without  any  great  self-denial. 
The  taint  of  numerous  kinds  of  wild  herbs  of 
all  sorts,  during  the  many  years  of  my  frontier 
life,  always  made  both  beef  and  milk  as  well  as 
butter  unpalatable,  especially  in  the  early  spring 
season,  and  in  Texas,  where  the  flavor  was 
abominable. 

There  were  so  many  motives  for  economy 
that  we  rejoiced  continually  at  our  inability  to 


CAVALRY  LIFE 


procure  supplies.  First  should  be  named  the 
fact  that  a  lieutenant's  pay,  exceedingly  small 
at  best,  was,  when  converted  into  gold,  just 
eighty  dollai*s  per  month.  That-  reality  was 
augmented  by  an  utter  inequality  in  the  cost 
of  actual  necessaries.  We  found,  for  instance, 
that  we  must  have  at  least  two  stoves  —  one 
for  cooking  and  the  other  for  heating  purposes. 
Their  combined  cost  was  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  dollars,  although  both  could  have 
been  bought  in  New  York  for  about  twenty  dol- 
lars. If  we  ever  rebelled  against  such  seeming 
impositions,  the  cost  of  freight  would  be  alluded 
to ;  and  remembering  what  the  expenses  of  my 
poor  solitary  trip  had  been  we  were  effectually 
silenced. 

Among  the  many  amusing  stories  told  on  that 
subject,  none  was  more  frequently  quoted  in 
every  frontier  station  than  the  retort  of  a  He- 
brew trader,  who,  when  expostulated  with  on 
account  of  the  exorbitant  charge  of  a  dollar  for 
a  paper  of  needles,  vehemently  replied  ; 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  de  cost  of  de  needles !  It  is 
de  freight,  de  freight !  " 


64  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

So  when  obliged  to  purchase  any  article  we 
counted  its  cost  as  compared  with  the  freight  as 
one  to  one  hundred. 

Shortly  after  we  reached  Camp  Halleck,  a 
team  was  sent  to  Austin  for  supplies ;  and 
being  sadly  in  need  of  chairs  it  was  decided 
that  if  we  ordered  the  very  strongest  and  ugliest 
kitchen  ones  they  would  escape  injuiy,  and  be 
cheap.  The  bill  was  received  before  the  team 
returned,  and  to  our  dismay  we  found  that  the 
six  chairs  cost  just  six  dollars  each  in  gold,  or 
fifty  dollars  in  greenbacks.  We  tried  to  hope 
they  would  be  so  nice  that  the  price  would 
prove  of  slight  consequence.  But  lo !  the 
teamster  brought  but  one  chair,  and  that  a 
common,  black,  old-fashioned  kitchen  one. 

When  asked  about  the  other  five,  the  man 
replied  that  the  loads  were  so  bad,  our  chairs, 
having  been  placed  on  top  of  the  load,  were  con- 
tinually falling  under  the  wheels,  and  finally, 
broken  in  pieces,  had  been  left  to  their  fate. 
We,  however,  suspected  that  they  had  served  as 
firewood.     We  frequently  joked,  after  the  first 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  65 

pangs  had  worn  away,  over  our  fifty-dollar  cliair, 
claiming  a  great  favor  was  bestowed  upon  any 
one  allowed  to  occupy  it. 

Reading  matter  was  our  only  luxury,  and  the 
weekly  mail,  always  an  uncertainty,  was  just  as 
apt  to  have  been  lightened  of  its  contents  in 
transit,  if  the  roads  were  at  all  heavy,  as  any 
other  package.  We  were  never  sure,  therefore, 
that  we  should  be  able  to  understand  the  next 
chapters  in  serial  stories,  which  were  our 
delight. 

I  remember  being  very  much  engrossed  in  one 
of  Charles  Reade's  novels,  the  heroine  of  which 
was  cast  on  a  desert  island,  where  I  thought 
only  her  lover's  presence  could  reconcile  her  to 
the  absence  of  supplies.  The  story  was  pub- 
lished in  Every  Saturday^  and  at  first  came 
weekly ;  but  after  we  had  become  most  deeply 
interested  five  weeks  passed  during  which  not 
a  single  number  was  received,  and  we*were  left 
to  imagine  the  sequel. 

Several  periodicals  of  a  more  solid  nature  al- 
ways came  regularly,  which  fact  constrained  us 


66  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

to  believe  that  we  were  furnishing  light  lit- 
erature to  the  poor  inhabitants  of  some  lonely 
stage  station  on  the  road ;  and  in  that  belief 
we  tried  to  find  consolation  for  our  own  losses. 
Rumors  of  the  outside  world  grow  dim  in  such 
an  isolated  life ;  we  were  unwilling  to  become 
rusty,  and  hence  read  with  avidity  all  printed 
matter  that  reached  us. 

There  were,  however,  other  diversions.  I 
learned  to  play  cribbage  admirably ;  and  as 
my  husband  was  able  to  give  me  a  good  deal  of 
his  time  we  found  it  a  pleasant  pastime.  The 
winter  seemed  well-nigh  interminable,  and  we 
longed  for  snow  to  disappear,  intending  then  to 
explore  the  whole  country.  I  was  such  a  novice 
in  the  saddle  that  the  steadiest  old  horse,  called 
"  Honest  John,"  was  chosen  for  me  ;  and  by  the 
time  pleasant  weather  had  come  I  was  ready  to 
ride  in  any  direction,  having  learned  that  my 
steed  was  all  his  name  implied. 

We  found  the  streams,  so  small  and  insignifi- 
cant during  the  dry  season,  enlarged  by  melting 
snows  from  the  mountains;  and  they  were  not 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  67 

only  beautiful,  as  clear  running  water  ever  is, 
but  were  filled  with  the  most  delicious  spotted 
trout,  which  on  our  fishing-trips  we  caught  and 
cooked  on  the  spot,  and  whose  excellence  as 
food  simply  beggars  description. 

Though  the  country  remained  almost  as  dreary 
as  in  mid-winter,  grass  made  some  improve- 
ment. The  lovely  wild-flowers,  in  endless 
beauty  and  variety,  were  a  ceaseless  delight; 
while  our  camp,  situated  on  a  lovely  little 
stream  in  a  grove  of  cottonwood-trees,  was  far 
more  beautiful  than  I  had  ever  imagined  it 
could  be. 

Unfortunately  there  were  no  trees  to  cast 
their  shade  over  our  tents ;  and  as  in  mid-winter 
we  had  suffered  from  intense  cold,  so  in  summer 
we  suffered  from  intense  heat.  The  sun  pene- 
trated the  thin  canvas  overhead  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  my  face  was  burned  as  if  I  had  been 
continually  out>of-doors,  or  even  more  so,  as  its 
reflected  glare  was  most  excessive.  Then  we 
were  almost  devoured  by  gnats  so  small  that 
netting  was  no  protection  against  them.     I  had 


68  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

never  before,  nor  have  I  ever  since,  seen  any 
insect  in  such  quantities,  nor  any  so  troublesome 
and  annoying. 

In  after-years  I  became  accustomed  to  the 
most  venomous  creatures  of  all  sorts,  and  in  time 
learned  not  to  mind  any  of  them ;  but  while 
in  Nevada  I  endured  tortures  from  a  colony  of 
wasps  that  took  possession  of  the  canvas  over 
the  ridge-poles  which  connected  the  uprights  of 
our  tents.  At  first  we  scarcely  noticed  them  ; 
but  they  must  either  have  multiplied  incredibly, 
or  else  gathered  recruits  from  all  directions,  for 
soon  they  swarmed  in  countless  numbers  above 
our  heads,  going  in  and  out  through  the  knot- 
holes in  our  rough  pine  door,  buzzing  about 
angrily  whenever  we  entered  hastily  —  in  fact, 
disputing  possession  with  us  to  such  a  degree 
that  I  dared  not  open  the  door  quickly.  When- 
ever I  did,  one  of  the  angry  insects  was  sure  to 
meet  and  sting  me.  They  remained  with  us 
during  the  summer,  and  when  we  finally  left 
were  masters  of  the  field  by  reason  of  their  su- 
perior numbers. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  69 

I  have  often  since  wondered  why  we  did  not 
dispossess  them  by  some  means,  as  they  were 
the  terror  of  my  life.  One  day  while  in  tlie 
inner  tent,  where  I  felt  safe,  dressing  for  break- 
fast, I  experienced  the  most  intense  sting'  on 
my  ankle.  The  pain  was  so  great  I  screamed, 
doubly  frightened  because  confident  a  rattle- 
snake had  bitten  me,  and  too  terrified  to  exer- 
cise any  self-control.  My  cries  soon  brought  a 
dozen  or  more  persons  to  the  scene,  who  found 
a  wretched  wasp,  and  calmed  my  fears  ;  but  my 
nerves  had  been  terribly  shaken.  Since  then 
I  have  met  army  ladies  who  live  in  constant 
terror  of  snakes,  tarantulas,  and  scorpions; 
though  no  longer  sharing  their  fears,  I  always 
sympathize  with  them. 

I  soon  became  an  expert  fisher;  and  the 
dainty  food  thus  procured  was  a  great  addition 
to  our  supplies.  With  all  its  drawbacks,  life  in 
the  open  air  then  began  to  have  many  charms 
for  me. 

We  made  friends  with  the  neighboring  ranch- 
men, particularly  those  who  were   married,  as 


70  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

their  wives  interested  us  greatly,  they  were 
such  perfect  specimens  of  frontier  w^omen.  At 
first  the  rancheros  were  a  little  shy,  but  soon 
made  us  welcome  to  their  homes  and  festivities, 
where  we  were  always  urged  to  remain  as  long 
as  possible.  Gradually  new  arrivals  —  always 
called  "  sister  "  or  "  cousin  "  —  appeared  at  sev- 
eral of  the  ranches,  and  soon  a  rumor  gained 
ground  that  though  not  exactly  in  Utah,  the 
Mormon  religion  prevailed  to  some  extent  in 
our  locality. 

Another  source  of  great  interest  was  the 
Piute  and  Shoshone  Indians,  who  were  so  nu- 
merous that  I  soon  regarded  red  men  as  fear- 
lessly as  if  I  had  been  accustomed  to  them  all 
my  life.  They  were  deeply  interested  in  us,  at 
times  inconveniently  so;  for  they  never  timed 
their  visits,  but  always  came  to  stay,  and  would 
frequently  spend  the  entire  day  watching  our 
movements. 

In  one  of  their  camps,  several  miles  away,  I 
found  a  beautiful  dark-eyed  baby  boy,  to  whom 
I  paid  frequent  visits,  which  were  at  first  well 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  71 

received.  But  one  day  I  carried  the  child  a 
neat  little  dress  —  my  own  handiwork  —  and 
before  arraying  baby  in  it  gave  him  a  bath,' 
which  evidently  caused  his  mother  to  decide 
that  I  had  sinister  designs  upon  her  prize,  for 
on  my  subsequent  visits  no  trace  of  the  baby 
could  ever  be  found.  Had  his  sex  been  differ- 
ent I  probably  could  have  obtained  complete 
possession;  but  boys  are  highly  prized  among 
the  Indians. 

We  considered  ourselves  well  repaid  for  a 
ride  of  twenty  miles  by  an  India'n  dance.  It 
was,  of  course,  only  picturesque  at  night,  when 
seen  by  the  light  of  huge  fires;  then,  indeed, 
the  sight  was  weird  and  strange  !  On  such  an 
occasion,  when  depicting  so  perfectly  their  war- 
fare, tlie  Indians  seemed  to  return  to  their 
original  savage  natures.  Had  it  not  been  for 
our  fully  armed  escort  we  might  have  feared 
for  safety. 

It  was  startling  to  see  the  Indians  slowly 
circle  around  their  camp-fire,  at  first  keeping 
time  to  a  very  slow,  monotonous  chant,  which 


72  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

by  degrees  increased  in  volume  and  rapidity, 
until  finally  their  movements  became  fast  and 
furious,  when  savagery  would  be  written  in 
every  line  of  their  implacable  countenances.  I 
could  then  realize  in  some  degree  how  little 
mercy  would  be  shown  us  should  they  once  be- 
come inimical ;  but  seeing  them  at  all  times  so 
thoroughly  friendly  made  it  difficult  to  think 
of  them  as  otherwise ;  and  therefore,  when  we 
afterwards  lived  among  the  most  savage  tribes, 
I  never  experienced  that  dread  which  has  made 
life  so  hard  for  many  army  ladies. 

With  the  advent  of  early  spring  active  prep- 
arations were  made  to  build  houses  for  the 
officers  before  the  ensuing  winter.  We  watched 
their  slow  progress,  hoping  against  hope  that 
we  might  occupy  one  of  the  cozy  little  dwell- 
ings. All  sorts  of  difficulties,  however,  seemed 
to  delay  their  construction,  for  good  workmen 
were  as  scarce  as  good  food,  and  we  found  that 
while  anticipation  and  expectation  were  pleas- 
ing fancies,  realization  was  but  a  dream.  All 
our  hopes  were  doomed  to  disappointment,  for 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  73 

we  finally  left  the  post  on  the  following  Janu- 
ary, just  one  year  after  my  arrival,  with  the 
house  we  had  longed  to  occupy  still  unfinished ; 
thus  I  passed  half  of  the  second  winter  in  our 
two  small  tents. 


74  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Meantime  much  had  happened  to  make  that 
year  an  eventful  one.  My  expectation  of  find- 
ing the  new,  untried  world  into  which  I  was 
ushered  a  place  where  all  were  ready  to  meet 
me  with  open  hearts  and  hands  had  been  com- 
pletely shattered.  The  captain  who  commanded 
our  company,  and  the  first  lieutenant,  had  taken 
a  violent  dislike  to  Mr.  Boyd  because  he  was 
unaccustomed  to  the  lack  of  discipline  they 
allowed ;  and  their  almost  unlimited  powers  en- 
abled them  to  deprive  us  of  much  to  which  we 
were  justly  entitled. 

They  were  two  of  the  most  illiterate  men 
whom  I  have  ever  met ;  and  shortly  after,  when 
the  army  consolidated,  both  found  more  fitting 
occupation  in  a  frontier  mining  town.  I  men- 
tion this  only  to  account  for  the  unnecessary 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  75 

hardships  to  which  we  were  subjected.  For 
instance,  when  gardens  were  planted,  and  the 
company  was  raising  fine  vegetables,  we  were 
allowed  neither  to  buy  nor  to  use  any,  and  had 
to  continue  to  live  on  rations. 

But  the  most  unkind  treatment  of  all  was 
shown  when  my  husband  met  with  a  severe 
.accident.  He  was  returning  from  a  successful 
fishing-trip  when  his  horse  —  and  a  more  un- 
ruly mustang  cannot  well  be  imagined  —  fan- 
cied some  cause  for  fright,  and  began  to  buck 
on  the  side  of  a  steep  hill.  Mr.  Boyd,  deeming 
discretion  the  better  part  of  valor,  jumped  off, 
and  fell  with  his  entire  weight  upon  one  leg, 
fracturing  it  just  below  the  knee.  His  compan- 
ion decided  to  ride  into  camp,  a  distance  of  six 
miles,  for  assistance,  and  a  litter  was  at  once 
sent  out.  My  husband  lay  there  alone,  helpless 
and  suffering,  until  long  after  dark,  the  coyotes, 
or  small  wolves,  coming  around  in  droves,  and 
it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  he  kept  them 
off  by  the  use  of  both  gun  and  pistol. 

When  he  was  brought  into  camp  late  at  night. 


76  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

my  first  remark  was  that  I  derived  some  com- 
fort from  the  situation,  inasmuch  as  he  would 
not  be  compelled  to  join  an  expedition  which 
had  been  for  some  time  projected.  Mr.  Boyd 
was  to  have  been  sent  with  an  escort  of  twenty 
men  on  a  surveying  party.  That  would  have 
kept  him  in  the  field  all  summer,  and  left  me 
entirely  alone. 

The  officer  in  command  displayed  his  ma- 
levolence by  sending  with  the  expedition  the 
soldier  who  had  volunteered  to  wait  on  us, 
thus  leaving  me  without  the  slightest  assistance 
in  caring  for  my  husband.  The  doctor  was  ex- 
ceedingly kind  and  good,  and  I  could  obtain 
my  meals  where  we  had  on  my  first  arrival; 
but  I  was  obliged  to  carry  Mr.  Boyd's  food 
quite  a  long  distance,  and  perform  every  sort 
of  hard,  menial  labor  —  even  chopping  wood ; 
for  nights,  lying  unable  to  move,  my  husband 
would  become  chilly  and  need  a  fire. 

Many  other  hardships  were  entailed,  and  I 
was  quite  worn  out  with  working  and  nursing, 
when,  in  a  month's  time,  Mr.  Boyd  was  able  to 


*       CAVALRY  LIFE.  7T 

walk  on  crutches.  However,  the  accident  had 
given  me  his  society  for  the  entire  summer,  at 
which  I  rejoiced  exceedingly ;  for  I  had  often 
wondered  what  I  should  do  if  left  alone,  friend- 
less as  I  felt  myself  to  be. 

At  that  time  the  whole  army  was  in  a  chaotic 
state,  especially  on  the  Pacific  coast,  where 
California  volunteers,  though  brave  and  hardy 
men,  w^ere  totally  unaccustomed  to  military  dis- 
cipline, and  the  officers  not  of  a  character  to 
enforce  it.  The  wild  lawlessness  which  had 
made  California  a  place  of  terror,  and  that  had 
only  been  subdued  by  the  vigilance  committee, 
was  still  extant,  and  many  occurrences  during 
our  first  year  of  army  life  showed  there  were 
desperadoes  among  us. 

Had  the  officers  in  command  been  gentlemen, 
at  least  a  semblance  of  respect  would  have  been 
shown;  but  the  enlisted  men,  treated  by  their 
officer  exactly  as  they  had  been  while  both 
were  volunteers,  were  disposed  to  dislike  a  man 
who  after  four  years  of  rigid  training  at  West 
Point  had  grown  accustomed  to  discipline  and 
was  disposed  to  exact  it. 


78  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

The  first  duty  which  called  my  husband  from 
home  was  an  expedition  after  some  horses  that 
had  been  sent  to  Camp  McDermott,  a  distance 
of  about  two  hundred  miles.  He  took  with 
him  ten  men,  and  experienced  very  little  diffi- 
culty in  managing  them  while  going;  but  re- 
turning, with  twenty  extra  horses,  the  soldiers 
were  in  a  lawless  state,  disposed  to  be  unruly, 
and  would  become  intoxicated  whenever  liquor 
could  be  had.  Despite  the  fact  that  water  was 
obtainable  only  at  the  stations  en  route.,  Mr. 
Boyd  made  a  practice  of  procuring  in  casks  all 
that  would  be  needed,  and  marching  a  few 
miles  beyond  the  stations,  so  as  to  prevent 
liquor  being  obtained ;  for  in  all  those  places, 
although  water  might  be  scarce,  a  barrel  of  the 
vilest  whisky  could  always  be  found. 

The  plan  worked  well  for  the  first  hundred 
miles ;  but  one  night  the  men  stole  back  to  the 
station  and  insisted  that  liquor  be  given  them. 
Mr.  Boyd  always  warned  station-masters  of  the 
extreme  danger  of  allowing  his  men  to  have 
whisky,  as  with  so  many  horses  the  services  of 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  79 

all  were  required  ;  but  that  day  some  had  been 
procured  from  an  unknown  source,  and  they 
were  determined  to  have  more.  The  station- 
master  refused  to  furnish  it,  and  barricaded  his 
door  so  that  no  one  could  enter. 

The  men  were  infuriated ;  and  just  as  my 
husband  arrived  on  the  scene  one  of  them 
rushed  madly  against  the  door  and  forced  it 
open,  only  to  be  met  by  a  ball  from  a  pistol 
fired  by  some  one  inside  the  room,  which  killed 
him  instantly.  That  sobered  the  rest,  who 
obeyed  the  order  given  to  carry  their  dead  com- 
rade back  to  the  encampment.  Fearing  further 
disturbance  my  husband  broke  camp  and  trav- 
eled till  daylight,  when  finding  the  already 
over-loaded  wagon  much  encumbered  by  the 
dead  body,  which  had  repeatedly  slipped  off,  he 
stopped  and  buried  it  by  the  roadside.  After 
that  he  had  no  trouble,  as  the  men  were  com- 
I^letely  subdued. 

On  their  return  to  camp  the  entire  story  was 
related  to  me;  and  knowing  how  great  Mr. 
Boyd's  anxiety  had  been,  I  fully  expected  he 


80  CAVALRY  LIFE.     ' 

would  be  commended,  if  not  rewarded.  Instead 
of  that  he  was  actually  called  to  account,  prin- 
cipally for  burying  the  dead  soldier  by  the 
roadside,  which  the  commanding  officer  seemed 
to  consider  wrong,  when  to  have  traveled  so 
many  days  with  the  body  uncoffined  would 
have  been  quite  impossible. 

I  was  highly  diverted  by  the  efforts  my  hus- 
band made  to  procure  presents  for  me,  and  shall 
never  forget  the  peculiarity  of  his  gifts.  In 
passing  through  Austin  at  one  time  he  endeav- 
ored to  buy  fruit,  as  we  missed  it  greatly,  and 
deemed  a  box  of  apples  at  only  one  dollar  a 
dozen  a  marvelous  bargain,  as  three  dollars 
had  been  paid  for  those  previously  purchased. 

On  another  occasion  Mr.  Boyd  had  yielded  to 
the  temptation  to  buy  a  sewing-machine,  which 
he  thought  would  please  me  very  much,  as  in- 
deed it  Avould  had  I  been  able  to  use  it ;  but 
the  machine  was  entirely  out  of  order  and  rep- 
resented nothing  in  the  way  of  usefulness,  un- 
less a  month's  pay  which  it  had  cost  might  be 
so  considered. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  81 

Another  present  was  of  a  more  noisy  sort. 
Knowing  that  I  had  never  seen  a  "  burro,"  Mr. 
Boyd  was  induced  to  buy  one  for  me  because 
it  was  cheap  and  so  docile  a  child  might  ride  it. 
The  latter  it  certainly  proved  to  be ;  but  living 
in  tents,  where  every  sound  penetrated  to  our 
ears,  the  animal  became  a  perpetual  nuisance ; 
consequently,  when  one  day  he  strayed  away, 
never  to  reappear,  we  were  not  sorry. 

The  brute  was  indeed  small,  but  his  voice 
was  a  marvel  of  strength  and  volume,  and  his 
bray  resounded  on  all  sides  at  the  most  inoppor- 
tune moments.  If  military  ordere  were  being 
read,  "  Burro  "  kept  up  an  accompaniment  which 
drowned  all  other  sounds ;  and  in  his  apparent 
loneliness,  the  poor  fellow  had  a  way  of  seeking 
human  companionship,  and  would  appear  at  our 
doorstep  and  lift  up  his  voice  in  a  manner  that 
made  us  feel  the  roof  must  rise  above  our  heads 
in  order  to  allow  the  fearful  sound  to  escape. 
He  afforded  us  a  great  deal  of  amusement,  how- 
ever, and  all  his  antics  were  laughed  at  and 
condoned. 


82  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

About  that  time  another  troop  of  the  regiment 
was  sent  from  Idaho,  and  we  then  enjoyed  the 
society  of  a  very  charming  New  York  woman, 
who  accompanied  her  husband,  and  the  fittings 
of  whose  tent  amused  us  much.  This  lady  had 
a  large  private  fortune,  yet  she  had  not  been 
with  us  a  month  before,  resigning  herself  to  the 
inevitable,  she  bent  weekly  over  the  wash-tub 
and  ironing-board,  as  help  was  not  procurable ; 
nor  did  this  officer's  wife  find  a  treasure  of  a 
soldier,  as  I  had,  Avho  would  volunteer  to  relieve 
her  of  such  unaccustomed  drudgery. 

Deciding  that  her  tent  would  present  a  more 
cheerful  appearance  if  papered,  all  newspapers 
received  were,  immediately  after  being  read, 
pasted  on  the  walls.  A  preference  was  given 
to  illustrated  journals,  and  it  was  very  diverting 
to  inspect  those  pictures  which  reflected  many 
scenes  of  our  former  lives.  How  often  the  wish 
was  expressed  that  we  could  be  as  well  sheltered 
as  were  the  servants  in  city  homes,  and  my 
friend  frequently  longed  for  as  good  a  roof 
overhead  as  had  her  mother's  barn.     A  year  of 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  83 

such  hardships  sufficed ;  at  the  end  of  that  time 
her  husband  resigned  his  commission,  and  for 
many  years  they  have  been  quartered  in  New 
York  City. 

As  the  second  winter  of  our  camp  life  ap- 
proached, we  prepared  in  a  measure  for  it  by 
procuring  a  larger  heating  stove  ;  but  the  stove 
took  up  a  great  deal  of  room  in  our  little  tent, 
and  so  was  crowded  into  a  corner,  with  the 
result  of  constant  danger  from  fire.  I  at- 
tempted to  keep  account  of  the  number  of 
times  our  tent  had  ignited  and  been  patched 
to  cover  the  burned  places.  Mr.  Boyd  usually 
built  a  fire  very  early,  before  going  to  his  du- 
ties, and  on  one  memorable  morning  the  entire 
top  of  our  sitting-room  tent  burned  away,  leav- 
ing it  quite  uncovered. 

My  anxiety  to  live  in  a  house  was  so  great 
that  I  calmly  deliberated  whether  or  not  to  call 
for  assistance  ;  but  second  thoughts  concerning 
the  probable  destruction  of  our  belongings,  and 
the  absurdity  of  expecting  a  house  to  immedi- 
ately erect  itself  for  our  benefit,  decided  me.     I 


84  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

had  really  grown  inured  to  fire,  as  one  would 
naturally  become  who  was  exempt  from  all  per- 
sonal danger ;  for  if  the  canvas  had  burned 
away,  open  air  and  sky  would  have  surrounded 
us. 

During  all  those  months  work  had  been  ac- 
tively prosecuted  on  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road ;  and  as  it  was  to  approach  us  very  closely, 
we  felt  that  not  only  would  personal  benefit 
result  therefrom,  but  it  would  bring  an  influx 
of  inhabitants  into  the  country  whicli  must  pro- 
mote its  prosperity  through  opening  mines,  irri- 
gating and  cultivating  arable  land,  and  so  forth. 
The  latter,  however,  became  problematical,  as 
it  was  found  impossible  to  procure  other  labor 
than  Chinese  on  the  railroad.  The  class  of  set- 
tlers who  occasionally  appeared  were  of  a  rest- 
less, nomadic  sort ;  and  if  they  located  on  a 
plot  of  land  soon  tired  of  the  industry  required 
to  make  of  the  place  a  home. 

The  chief  result  of  the  increased  population 
was  most  noticeable  in  the  number  of  accidents 
which  occurred  both  on  the  railroad  and  in  our 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  85 

neighborhood.  The  post  doctor's  services  were 
in  almost  daily  requisition ;  and  as  our  hospital 
was  also  a  tent,  and  many  of  the  injured  were 
carried  there,  my  soul  was  harrowed  by  the 
cries  of  wounded  men  which  could  not  be  stifled 
in  that  clear  atmosphere  with  nothing  but  can- 
vas interveninor. 

o 

One  of  the  young  officer  who  knew  my  ter- 
ror on  that  score,  delighted  in  giving  me  exag- 
gerated accounts  of  their  sufferings,  and  used  to 
relate  the  most  remarkable  cases,  whicli  I  fully 
believed  at  the  time,  though  later  his  deceit  and 
exaggeration  were  discovered.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  the  frontier  at  best  was  a  place  where  suf- 
fering prevailed  to  a  degree  not  commensurate 
with  the  number  of  inhabitants. 

We  were  very  near  the  "  white  pine  region," 
where  an  immense  silver  mine  created  great 
excitement,  the  novelty  of  which  pleased  us  al- 
most as  much  as  if  we  were  to  share  in  the  ma- 
terial benefits  thereof. 

Mr.  Boyd's  promotion  to  a  first  lieutenantcy, 
which  had  been  expected  for  many  months,  was 


86  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

at  that  time  received,  and  we  hoped  the  railroad 
Avould  enable  us  to  make  the  journey  conse- 
quent upon  such  promotion  in  greater  comfort 
than  had  been  possible  on  our  previous  one. 
Alas !  how  bitterly  we  deplored  the  unalterable 
fact  so  common  in  army  life,  that  after  having 
endured  severe  hardships,  and  watched  the  ad- 
vent of  brighter  days,  as  promised  b}^  the  approach 
of  a  railroad  and  the  completion  of  officers' 
quarters,  we  were  compelled  to  leave  for  distant 
Arizona  without  sharing  in  any  of  the  advan- 
tages which  would  naturally  follow. 

My  husband's  promotion  transferred  him  to  a 
company  of  the  regiment  stationed  at  Prescott, 
Arizona  Territory.  We  had  first  to  reach  San 
Francisco,  go  from  thence  by  sea  to  Southern 
California,  and  then  across  into  Arizona.  One 
beautiful  morning,  just  a  year  from  the  time 
of  my  arrival,  we  started  for  California.  We 
were  glad  to  be  able,  instead  of  having  to  en- 
dure the  discomforts  of  a  stage-ride,  to  strike 
the  railroad  twelve  miles  from  Camp  Halleck. 
The  road  had  reached  that  point  only  a  few 


CAVALRY  LIFE,  87 

days  before,  and  the  rails  having  been  newly 
laid  none  but  construction  trains  had  passed 
over  it. 

We  were  obliged  to  wait  for  a  car  until  the 
next  morning,  when  a  hospitable  welcome  was 
given  us  by  the  engineer  in  charge,  who  with 
his  wife  and  family  occupied  the  construction 
train,  and  seemed  most  comfortable  in  their 
movable  home.  They  had  every  needful  ar- 
i*angement  to  make  them  so,  for  the  cars,  two  in 
number,  were  roomy  as  possible.  The  first  car 
was  divided  into  an  admirable  kitchen  and  din- 
ing room,  which  were  presided  over  by  a  Chi- 
nese cook  ;  the  second  into  sitting  and  bedrooms 
so  arranged  that  they  were  cozy  and  com- 
fortable. 

Our  only,  fear  was  of  the  possibly  infested 
atmosphere,  for  we  were  told  that  smallpox 
had  broken  out  among  the  Chinese  railroad 
employees,  and  was  prevailing  to  an  alarming 
extent.  A  delightful  day  and  night  were,  how- 
ever, passed  with  our  new  friends,  who  shared 
with   us    their   sleeping    accommodations,    Mr. 


SS  CAVALBY  LIPH. 

Boyd  rooming  with  the  engineer  and  I  with  his 
wife.  At  nine  o'clock  next  morning  we  left 
them,  feeling  very  grateful  for  the  kindness 
received. 

Our  gratitude  was  in  no  wise  lessened,  though 
our  fears  were  increased,  when  the  following 
day  a  telegram  overtook  us  which  stated  that 
our  engineer  friend  had  succumbed  to  small- 
pox. He  recovered  from  the  disease  perhaps 
sooner  than  we  did  from  our  panic  :  so  great  an 
exposure  was  at  a  most  inconvenient  time,  for, 
like  Joe,  we  had  to  "move  on." 

I  was  astonished  to  find  that  the  car  w^hich 
was  to  take  us  farther  West  was  only  the  caboose 
or  freight  car  of  an  ordinary  train  ;  and  when, 
having  climbed  into  the  huge  side  opening,  the 
steps  were  taken  away,  leaving  us  high  and  dry, 
'  the  prospect  was  far  from  encouraging.  There 
was  no  accommodation  for  comfort  of  any  sort, 
and  only  rough  benches  for  seats.  The  car, 
too,  was  filled  with  railroad  employees,  and  the 
atmosphere  soon  became  intolerable.  The  road- 
bed was  so  new  and  the  jolting  so  alarming,  I 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  80 

concluded  a  stage-ride  would  have  been  prefer- 
able, as  we  could  at  least  have  seen  what  was 
before  us. 

We  stopped  frequently,  yet  were  so  far  above 
the  ground  I  dared  not  descend,  and,  in  fact, 
there  was  no  special  occasion  to  do  so,  for  we 
rode  until  three  the  next  morning  before  reach- 
ing a  place  where  a  mouthful  of  food  could  be 
obtained.  Having  anticipated  when  once  on 
the  railroad  to  travel  so  rapidly  that  we  need 
make  no  preparations  beforehand,  our  ride  of 
eighteen  houi*s  in  covering  less  than  fifty  miles 
was  not  only  unexpected,  but  almost  unendur- 
able from  hunger  and  fatigue.  When  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning  a  stopping-place  was  at 
last  reached  I  was  quite  exhausted.  Food  and 
rest  were  found  there,  and  best  of  all  a  civilized 
sleeping-car,  in  which  we  went  on  to  Sacramento. 

The  journey  through  Nevada  seemed  incredi- 
bly swift.  As  we  crossed  the  Sierra  Nevada 
mountains  and  passed  through  twenty-five  miles 
of  snow-sheds,  which  cut  off  the  view  just  as 
one  began  to  enjoy  it,  I  felt   almost   glad   to 


90  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

have  taken  what  had  become  so  completely  a 
memory  of  the  past  —  a  stage-ride  over  those 
grand  old  mountains. 

It  was  wonderful  to  observe  the  marked  dif- 
ference in  vegetation  between  Nevada  and  Cali- 
fornia. Just  as  soon  as  we  readied  the  Pacific 
coast  exquisite  green  verdure  contrasted  so  fav- 
orably with  Nevada's  arid  desolation  as  to  cause 
one  to  feel  as  if  in  a  veritable  ''  land  of  prom- 
ise." The  refreshment  to  our  weary  eyes  after 
a  year  of  absence  from  such  scenery  was  a  source 
of  the  greatest  imaginable  pleasure.  Then  to 
cover  in  a  few  short  hours  the  same  distance 
which  had  previously  required  five  weary  days 
and  nights  was  not  the  least  of  our  many  causes 
for  gratitude.  When  Sacramento  was  reached, 
the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  country  was  so 
great  we  felt  that  all  the  encomiums  California 
'  had  ever  received  were  fully  warranted. 

The  next  day  we  arrived  in  San  Francisco, 
and  once  more  felt  civilized. 


CAVALliY  LIFE.  91 


CHAPTER  IV. 

My  husband's  first  duty  was  to  report  to  the 
commanding  general,  who  gave  him  permission 
to  remain  there  for  two  months,  promising  to 
place  him  on  duty  in  order  that  he  might  re- 
ceive full  pay  and  allowances.  That  seemed  a 
very  great  boon  until  we  found  the  duty  con- 
sisted in  Mr.  Boyd's  being  ordered  five  hundred 
miles  away  to  inspect  some  horses,  which  left 
nie  utterly  lonely  in  a  strange  city. 

The  place  to  which  he  was  sent  could  be 
reached  only  by  water,  and  the  steamers  sailed 
weekly  both  going  and  returning,  so  I  felt  par- 
ticularly forlorn,  knowing  he  could  not  be  back 
for  at  least  ten  days.  When  the  first  return 
steamer  reached  San  Francisco  without  him  I 
was  in  despair,  and  indeed  with  reason.  I  had 
already  found  the  tender  mercy  of  a  boarding- 


92  CAVALBT  LIFE. 


house  keeper  to  be  all  it  is  generally  repre- 
sented. 

That  night  our  little  daughter  was  born,  and 
a  facetious  friend  telegraphed  to  my  husband : 
"  Mother  and  child  are  doing  well,"  thus  leav- 
ing the  sex  to  be  conjectured,  which  caused  bets 
to  be  made  by  such  officers  as  were  always  glad 
of  an  excuse  to  bet  on  any  chance. 

But,  indeed,  "  mother  and  child  "  were  not 
doing  well.  A  veritable  Sairy  Gamp  had  taken 
possession  of  both:  my  own  sufferings  were 
almost  intolerable,  while  I  felt  sure  the  poor 
little  baby  was  being  continually  dosed.  The 
nurse  weighed  nearly  three  hundred  pounds, 
and  at  night  when  she  lay  down  beside  me  her 
enormous  weight  made  such  an  inclined  plane 
of  the  bed  that  I  could  not  keep  from  rolling 
against  her ;  and  slie  snored  so  loudly  that  not 
only  was  it  impossible  for  me  to  sleep,  but  for 
any  one  else  on  the  same  floor.  The  sounds 
were  not  at  all  sedative  in  their  effects,  and  I 
spent  the  nights  praying  for  morning. 

My  baby,  too,  was  so  restless  that  her  posi- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  93 

tion  had  to  be  frequently  changed;  and  when 
the  nurse  was  awakened  she  treated  me  exactly 
as  if  I  were  a  naughty  child,  and  so  completely 
cowed  me  by  her  roughness  that  I  dared  offer 
no  remonstrance,  but  simply  endured. 

Matters  went  on  thus  for  several  days  until 
some  of  the  kind  ladies  in  the  house  interfered  5 
but  not  before  I  had  been  left  entirely  alone 
the  night  our  little  one  was  a  week  old,  and 
was  found  unconscious  with  baby  screaming  so 
loudly  that  every  one  in  the  house  was  aroused. 

The  good  old  days  are  not  so  much  to  be  de- 
plored when  we  consider  that  the  nurse  Avas  a 
fair  specimen  of  her  class,  and  had  no  hesitancy 
in  asking  foi-ty  doUai's  a  week  for  the  services 
she  rendered.  Now  that  trained  nurses  are  to 
be  found  everywhere,  such  creatures  are  un- 
known. Instances  of  her  cruel  conduct  might 
be  multiplied,  but  it  is  unnecessary. 

As  usual  I  was  tormented  by  fears  on  the 
score  of  expense,  as  all  supplies  were  most  ex- 
orbitant in  price.  The  increase  in  rank  had 
added  only  one  hundred  dollars  a  year  to  my 


94  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

husband's  pay,  and  the  hind  of  fruitful  abun- 
dance in  which  we  then  were  was  ahnost  as 
costly,  so  far  as  living  expenses  were  concerned, 
as  the  frontier,  and  under  the  circumstances 
far  more  so. 

After  two  steamers  *  had  arrived  without 
bringing  Mr.  Boyd,  I  grew  so  restless  under 
the  care  of  such  a  nurse  that  the  determination 
to  discharge  her  was  formed ;  yet  sufficient 
courage  to  do  so  was  not  summoned  until  after 
the  arrival  of  my  husband,  five  days  before  our 
baby  was  three  weeks  old. 

We  then  essayed  to  minister  to  baby's  wants 
ourselves,  and  some  of  the.  attempts  were  ludi- 
crous. Having  seen  the  nurse  give  the  child 
paregoric,  once,  when  she  cried  desperately,  I 
poured  out  a  teaspoon ful,  and  while  my  hus- 
band held  baby,  tried  to  make  her  swallow  it. 
Had  not  the  drug  in  its  raw  strength  nearly 
strangled  her,  we  would,  undoubtedly,  have 
murdered  our  dear  little  infant. 

That  was  not  the  only  experiment  we  tried, 
and  looking  back  I  pity  the  poor  child  with  all 


CAVALRY  LIFE,  95 

my  heart.  Our  anxiety  to  improve  her  appear- 
ance was  so  great  that  whatever  we  were  ad- 
vised to  do  wiis  attempted.  I  cut  off  baby's 
eyelashes  one  day  to  make  them  grow  thicker ; 
and  when  she  was  a  little  older,  while  we  were 
in  Arizona,  I  found  her  father  pressing  that 
dear  little  nose  between  the  prongs  of  a  clothes- 
pin to  better  its  shape.  She  resented  such 
treatment,  and  her  cries  filled  me  with  indigna- 
tion, for  at  least  my  experiments  had  all  been 
painless. 

The  day  after  Mr.  Boyd's  return,  notwith- 
standing the  commanding  general's  promise 
that  we  should  remain  in  San  Francisco  until 
May,  orders  were  received  to  proceed  immedi- 
ately to  Arizona.  It  never  occurred  to  my  hus- 
band that  he  should  dispute  the  order,  nor  to 
me  that  I  could  remain  for  a  time  in  California. 

After  a  couple  of  days  spent  in  purchasing 
needful  supplies  and  hunting  the  city  over  for 
a  servant,  we  took  steamer  for  Wilmington  in 
Southern  California.  The  trip  occupied  two 
days,   and   as   we    kept   very  near   the   coast, 


96  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

choppy  seas  made  me  extremely  seasick  and 
miserable.  I  was  so  thin  and  pale  as  to  excite 
the  sympathies  of  all  who  saw  me.  The  doctor 
had  said  that  the  change  would  benefit  me, 
while,  perhaps,  I  could  not  improve  if  left  in 
California.  His  prediction  might  have  proved 
true  had  not  the  journey  been  so  fearfully  liard. 
Baby  was  exactly  three  weeks  old  the  day  we 
reached  Los  Angeles,  from  which  place  we  were 
to  start  on  our  long  interior  ride. 

Nothing  can  be  more  beautiful  than  were  the 
surroundings  of  that  town.  As  we  drove  in 
from  Wilmington  the  air  was  odorous  with  the 
perfume  of  orange  blossoms;  and  trees,  heavy 
with  their  loads  of  ripening  fruits  of  different 
kinds,  overshadowed  our  road.  I  have  never 
cared  for  oranges  since  eating  those  brought 
me  still  clinging  to  their  branches :  no  packed 
fruit  can  compare  with  such  in  flavor  and 
lusciousness. 

Having  been  housed  so  long  I  enjoyed  to 
the  full  the  flowers  that  bloomed  on  all  sides, 
making   a  perfect   paradise   of   the   spot.     My 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  97 

recollections  of  California,  for  I  have  never 
seen  it  since,  are  most  delightful,  and  I  deem 
any  one  fortunate  who  has  a  settled  home  there. 

That  part  of  Southern  California  is  particu- 
larly favored,  and  my  recollections  of  the  five 
days  consumed  in  traveling  toward  the  East  are 
among  the  pleasantest  of  my  life.  We  stopped 
every  night  at  some  ranch,  where  the  occupants 
not  only  received  us  kindly,  but  where  our  eyes 
could  feast  on  glorious  scenery,  which  combined 
with  the  liberal  creature  comforts  that  were  en- 
joyed, left  little  to  be  wished  for. 

I  longed  to  remain  in  Los  Angeles  ;  but  we 
were  obliged  to  hurry  on  in  compliance  with 
military  orders,  and  also  for  another  reason. 
An  entire  day  spent  in  San  Francisco  hunting 
for  a  servant  had  only  resulted  in  procuring  a 
Chinese  boy  twelve  years  old.  No  woman 
could  be  induced  to  go  to  Arizona.  First, 
because  no  church  was  there.  Second,  and 
mainly,  because  many  Indians  were. 

Even  the  mercenary  Chinese  had  never 
dreamed  of  passing  into  so  dangerous  a  region  ; 


98  CAVALIiY  LIFE. 

and  when  on  reaching  Los  Angeles  my  little 
servant  naturally  exchanged  confidences  with 
those  employed  in  the  hotel,  such  a  tale  of 
horrors  —  principally  in  the  shape  of  Indian 
cruelties  —  was  told  the  boy,  that  he  was  terri- 
fied beyond  belief,  and  fairly  shook  with  an- 
guish and  fear  when  informed  that  he  must 
accompany  us.  Evidently  believing  that  his 
long  queue  would  prove  an  additional  induce- 
ment for  the  Indians  to  scalp  him,  he  was  deter- 
mined to  escape  at  all  hazards.  Our  little 
servant  could  be  kept  from  running  away  only 
by  locking  him  up ;  he  was  not  released  until 
we  were  ready  to  step  into  the  wagon,  and  a 
more  woebegone  face  I  have  never  seen. 

It  is  to  this  day  an  historical  fact,  both  in 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  that  we  took  the  first 
Chinaman  into  those  States  which  now  swarm 
with  them,  and  where  only  recently  they  were 
boycotted. 

For  some  reason  unknown  to  us,  we  were 
refused  proper  transportation  —  an  ambulance 
and  four  mules   with   diiver.     A  small,   two- 


CAVALRY  LIFE,  99 

seated  vehicle  and  span  of  horses  had  instead 
been  provided,  which  when  loaded  with,  our 
most  needed  articles  presented  a  strange 
appearance.  A  mattress  and  blankets  were 
strapped  on  the  back,  and  over  those  a  chair. 
The  inside  was  simply  crowded  with  an  array 
of  articles  demanded  by  our  long  journey.  We 
had  not  only  all  necessary  clothing,  but  as 
much  food  in  a  condensed  shape  as  could  be 
taken  ;  there  was  no  room  for  luxuries.  Our 
first  care  was  to  })e  well  armed,  as  we  were 
going  among  hostile  Indians,  a  fact  I  could 
scarcely  realize ;  therefore  our  vehicle  held,  in 
addition  to  all  else,  a  gun,  two  pistols,  and 
strapped  overhead  my  husband's  two  sabers, 
which  he  required  when  on  duty. 

Some  premonition,  which  perhaps  was  the 
result  of  past  experience,  made  me  careful  to 
select  all  we  might  need  for  future  as  well  as 
present  use  in  the  way  of  clothing.  It  proved 
a  wise  precaution,  for  the  remainder  of  our  bag- 
gage, including  all  household  goods,  which  we 
had  left  in  the  hands  of  freighters,  was  seized 


100  CAVALBT  LIFE. 

for  their  debts  on  the  borders  of  California,  and 
not  permitted  to  cross  into  Arizona  until  means 
to  liquidate  the  men's  obligations  had  been 
found.  It  took  just  six  months  to  do  that,  dur- 
ing which  time  we  waited  for  our  property. 

With  my  usual  docility  in  accepting  advice 
concerning  baby,  I  had  followed  the  suggestion 
of  an  army  paymaster's  wife,  who  considered  a 
champagne  basket  the  proper  receptacle  for  an 
infant  when  traveling.  Never  was  advice  given 
which  proved  more  useful  or  beneficial.  If  with 
all  the  other  hardships  of  that  journey  I  had 
been  compelled  to  hold  baby  day  after  day,  not 
only  would  I  have  been  far  more  fatigued,  but 
she  far  less  comfortable.  Cradled  in  that  basket, 
the  motion  of  our  carriage  acted  as  a  perpetual 
lullaby,  and  the  little  one  slept  soundly  all  the 
time,  waking  only  when  progress  ceased.  The 
basket  was  tightly  strapped  to  the  front  seat  ^ 
beside  my  husband,  who  drove,  while  I  sat  on  • 
the  back  one  with  our  little  Chinaman. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  101 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  time-honored  "  babes  in  the  woods " 
could  not  have  started  on  their  pilgrimage  with 
more  childlike  simplicity  than  did  my  husband 
and  myself.  The  first  five  days,  through  the 
most  beautiful  country  imaginable,  were  li]ce  a 
pleasure  trip,  and  little  prepared  us  for  the  hard- 
ships which  followed.  The  roads  were  good,  the 
scenery  superb,  and  each  night  we  were  most 
hospitably  entertained  by  some  kind  family. 

Besides  good  food  and  comfortable  beds,  con- 
siderable advice  as  to  the  treatment  of  baby  was 
thrown  in  giutuitously.  It  seemed  all  the  more 
necessary  just  then,  for  although  during  the  en- 
tire trip  our  little  one  slept  sweetly  through- 
out the  day,  no  doubt  lulled  to  rest  by  the 
motion  of  the  vehicle,  when  night  came  she 
was  tortured  by  that  baby's  enemy  —  colic.     As 


102  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

a  cure,  we  kept  adding  to  her  coverings,  until 
no  one  could  have  dreamed  that  the  tightly 
strapped  and  blanketed  basket  contained  a  hu- 
man being.  Many  were  the  comments  of  sur- 
prise when  the  child  was  exhumed  from  her 
manifold  wrappings.  If  the  custom  of  traveling 
by  carriage  long  distances  was  not  almost  ob- 
solete, I  should  advise  all  young  mothers  to  try 
the  basket  plan.  Not  only  was  baby  perfectly 
comfortable,  but  the  saving  of  my  strength  was 
great,  and  that  alone  enabled  me  to  survive  the 
journey. 

We  passed  the  celebrated  Cocomungo  Ranch, 
with  its  beautiful  vineyards  and  delicious  wines, 
and  many  other  spots,  then  unoccupied  lands, 
which  have  since  become  populous  towns.  On 
the  fifth  day  Camp  Cady,  where  we  expected 
to  take  final  leave  of  civilization  and  enter  the 
California  desert,  was  reached.  The  camp  was 
garrisoned  by  a  detachment  of  only  twenty 
men,  and  but  two  could  be  spared  as  an  escort 
for  us.  Even  then  the  wife  of  the  officer  in 
charge  demurred,  saying ; 


CAVALUY  LIFE.  103 

"Suppose  the  Indians  should  attack  us? 
What  could  we  do  with  only  eighteen  men  ? " 

When  during  subsequent  weeks  I  fully  real- 
ized the  dangers  we  were  encountering,  her  re- 
mark was  frequently  recalled.  Certainly  two 
men  were  not  sufficient  to  protect  us  from 
Indians. 

Immediately  after  leaving  Camp  Cady  we 
descended  into  a  small  canon,  and  on  emerging 
therefrom  found  ourselves  dragging  through 
deep  sand,  which  continued  for  miles  and  was 
wearisome  in  the  extreme.  Our  horses  plodded 
along,  and  the  monotony  of  desert  travel  was 
thoroughly  established.  Only  eighteen  miles 
were  covered  that  day,  yet  it  took  ten  hours,  as 
we  dared  not  urge  the  horses  through  such  deep 
sand.  ' 

Our  first  encampment  was  a  memorable  one. 
Like  all  desert  travelers,  we  did  not  stop  on 
account  of  having  reached  an  oasis,  but  simply 
because  our  horses  could  go  no  farther.  I 
wondered  then,  as  on  our  previous  journey,  why 
the  particular  spot  at  which  we  stopped  had  been 


104  CAVALBY  LIFE. 

selected.  It  always  seemed  to  me  that  we 
might  have  gone  on ;  but  that  was  not  a  com- 
mon-sense view  —  merely  an  eager  desire  to 
hasten  toward  home. 

I  never  knew  why  we  had  no  tent  of  any 
kind,  not  even  the  tiny  shelter  tent  with  which 
every  soldier  is  supposed  to  be  provided  on  all 
journeys ;  I  do,  however,  know  that  we  had  not 
a  stitch  of  canvas  of  any  sort,  and  that  baby 
was  awakened  every  morning  by  the  glaring 
sun  shining  full  in  her  face.  As  the  sun  on 
the  desert  sand  is  reflective,  we  soon  learned  to 
dread  it  extremely. 

I  wish  it  were  possible  to  impress  others  with 
the  sensation  those  camps  invariably  produced 
upon  me  !  Usually  occupying  as  a  spectator 
a  passive  position,  I  sat  apart  and  watched  the 
blazing  fire  and  the  figures  of  the  men  sharply 
defined  against  its  light  as  they  prepared  sup- 
per, and  then,  peering  into  the  unfathomable  dis- 
tance of  loneliness  beyond  and  on  all  sides,  I 
indulged  in  all  kinds  of  visions,  none  of  which 
were  calculated  to  make  me  especially  happy. 


CAVALBT  LIFE.  105 


That  night,  however,  the  men  who  accom- 
panied us  pretended  to  be  unequal  to  the  task 
of  making  ready  our  slight  repast,  and  I  essayed 
for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  and  under  the 
greatest  disadvantages,  to  cook  an  entire  meal. 
A  strong  wind  was  blowing,  which  drove  the 
smoke  in  my  face  and  eyes.  The  more  I  tried 
to  avoid  this,  the  more  it  seemed  to  torture  me  ; 
while  my  utter  lack  of  knowledge  in  all  culi^ 
nary  matters,  especially  when  prosecuted  under 
such  circumstances,  was  very  trying.  Baby 
added  to  my  misery  by  screaming  with  pain 
from  her  usual  attack  of  colic. 

Want  of  space  in  our  little  wagon  had  com- 
pelled us  to  forego  all  but  the  actual  neces^ 
saries  of  life;  and  thus  our  bill  of  fare  was 
limited  to  bacon,  hard  tack,  and  a  small  supply 
i  of  eggs,  which,  with  coffee,  was  our  only  food 
'  during  that  desert  travel  of  five  days.  I  learned 
to  grill  bacon  and  make  excellent  coffee,  but 
never  to  enjoy  cooking  over  a  camp-fire. 

Bright  and  early,  awakened  by  the  sun  shin- 
ing full  in  our  faces,  we  started  on  our  seventh 


106  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

day's  journey,  which  proved  almost  exactly  like 
our  sixth,  yet  closed  with  a  tragic  incident. 
The  horses  were  our  pride  and  glory — they 
were  not  only  beautiful,  but  strong  and  useful. 
Watching  them  as  they  carried  us  along  so 
swiftly  and  safely  during  the  first  five  days 
had  been  a  real  pleasure,  and  we  had  become 
attached  to  the  faithful  animals. 

On  reaching  Soda  Lake  at  the  end  of  our 
seventh  day's  journey,  and  second  after  leaving 
Camp  Cady,  we  were  not  a  little  dismayed  to 
find  that  the  horses  were  suffering  quite  se- 
verely from  the  effects  of  their  hard  two  days' 
pull  through  the  deep  sand.  On  being  unhar- 
nessed, one  immediately  plunged  into  the  lake, 
and  in  spite  of  all  efforts  remained  there.  The 
result  may  be  conjectured.  In  his  heated  and 
exhausted  condition  he  foundered,  and  to  our 
great  sorrow  had  to  be  shot. 

That  was  a  serious  hindrance  to  our  progress  ; 
but,  fortunately,  we  had  with  us  a  pack-mule 
laden  with  grain  for  the  horses.  Needless  to 
state  he  was  relieved  of  his  load,  much  of  which 


CAVALRT  LIFE.  107 

we  left  by  the  roadside ;  the  remainder,  neces- 
sary for  the  animals'  sustenance,  was  placed  in 
our  wagon,  which  rendered  us  still  more  uncom- 
fortable. It  would  be  difficult  to  tell  what  we 
did  with  our  feet,  for  not  an  inch  of  space  on 
the  bottom  of  the  wagon  was  unoccupied. 

•  We  left  Soda  Lake  with  joy,  as  its  alkaline 
properties  rendered  the  water  useless  for  all 
ordinary  purposes,  and  a  better  supply  was 
longed  for.  During  that  entire  desert  journey, 
until  the  Colorado  River  was  reached,  we  had 
not  a  drop  of  water  that  could  quench  thirst. 
Both  men  and  animals  were  to  be  pitied. 

Our  eighth  day  was  dreadful  in  its  manner 
of  progress.  The  pack-mule,  quite  unaccus- 
tomed to  harness,  had  no  idea  of  bearing  his 
share  of  the  burden,  while  our  beautiful  little 
mare  chafed  in  the  company  of  such  an  un- 
gainly creature,  and  seemed  so  desirous  to  be 
rid  of  him  that  she  did  all  the  pulling.  For 
days  our  minds  were  occupied  with  the  problem 
of  how  to  restrain  her  and  urge  on  the  mule. 
Every  effort  to  accomplish  this  only  made  mat- 


108  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

ters  worse,  for  it  invariably  resulted  in  the  lat- 
ter breaking  into  a  clumsy,  lumbering  gallop 
that  was  very  ludicrous. 

At  length  we  left  the  deep  sand  and  traveled 
over  the  most  level  country  imaginable.  It 
proved,  however,  even  more  dreary,  for  the 
ground  was  white  as  snow  with  alkaline  de- 
posits. As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  only  an 
endless,  white,  barren  plain,  unrelieved  by  even 
a  scrub  bush,  was  visible.  In  all  my  frontier 
life  and  travel  I  never  saw  anything  so  utterly 
desolate  as  was  that  desert. 

We  found,  after  the  first  day  of  unmatched 
steeds,  that  our  little  mare  must  be  favored  or 
she  too  would  die.  It  was  therefore  decided  to 
travel  mainly  at  night.  The  ground  was  so 
hard  and  white  that  the  sun's  reflection  was 
most  dazzling.  When,  on  the  ninth  day,  we 
encamped  witli  only  our  wagon  to  shade  us 
from  its  intense  rays,  I  would  have  given  almost 
anything  for  the  shelter  a  strip  of  canvas  would 
have  afforded.  Long  before  noon,  and  long 
after,  the  pitiless   sun  poured  down  upon  us, 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  109 

until  hands  and  faces  were  blistered;  even  poor 
little  baby  had  to  be  smeared  with  glycerine  as 
a  preventive. 

In  that  manner  we  traveled  for  two  days 
over  the  desert;  and  although  the  sun's  heat 
was  almost  unendurable,  yet  our  only  safety 
lay  in  so  doing. 

We  sfarted  about  sundown  on  the  ninth 
night,  and  reaching  an  old  disused  house  about 
midnight,  prepared  to  capip.  I  had  been  so 
tortured  for  several  days  and  nights  by  the 
absence  of  all  shelter,  that  my  husband  readily 
complied  with  the  request  to  place  our  mattress 
inside  those  old  walls.  The  roof  had  long  be- 
fore disappeared:  but  it  seemed  good  to  be 
once  more  in  any  sort  of  inclosure,  and  I  lay 
down  very  composedly.  My  sleep  was,  how- 
ever, soon  disturbed  by  the  strangest  sounds. 
I  awakened  to  find  that  a  veritable  carnival 
was  being  held  by  insects,  and  the  uncertainty 
concerning  their  species  was  anything  but 
agreeable.  Every  imaginable  noise  could  be 
detected.     I  bore  it  silently  as  long  as  possible, 


110  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

until  confident  I  heard  rattlesnakes,  when  in 
great  fear  I  hugged  my  baby  closer,  expecting 
our  last  moments  had  come,  yet  hoping  to 
shield  her  from  their  fangs. 

Such  a  night  of  wretchedness  I  hope  never 
again  to  experience.  All  kinds  of  horrible 
sounds  terrified  me  to  such  an  extent  that  a 
firm  resolve  was  formed  never  to  pass  another 
night  in  a  place  of  whose  inhabitants  I  was  un- 
aware. I  am  confident  that  every  sort  of  ver- 
min infested  that  old  ruined  house,  and  our 
subsequent  perils  with  visible  foes  gave  me  far 
less  anxiety. 

Having  learned  to  dread  being  a  source  of 
extra  trouble  to  Mr.  Boyd  on  a  journey  which 
taxed  every  energy  of  his  mind  and  body,  I 
always  endured  everything  quietly  as  long  as 
possible.  That  alone  enabled  me  to  go  through 
such  a  night  of  agony  —  interminable  it  seemed 
at  the  time,  but  in .  reality  only  a  few  hours,  for 
dawn  soon  came. 

Midday  again  found  us  on  our  way ;  and 
when  we  began  to  descend  into  the  Colorado 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  Ill 

basin,  and  caught  sight  of  Fort  Mojave's  adobe 
walls  and  the  muddy  banks  of  the  river,  we 
felt  as  if  the  end  of  a  hard  journey  had  at  last 
been  reached,  and  rejoiced  exceedingly  to  see 
friendly  faces  and  receive  a  hearty  welcome. 
Knowing  that  each  day's  travel  was  bringing 
us  nearer  home,  we  gladly  crossed  the  river  and 
shook  the  dust  of  California  from  our  feet. 


112  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FoKT  MojAYE,  at  that  time  a  mere  collection 
of  adobe  buildings  with  no  special  pretensions 
to  comfort,  stood  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
Colorado  River.  It  seemed  to  me,  except  for 
the  extreme  heat  which  made  it  an  uncomfort- 
able sleeping-place,  a  very  haven  of  rest.  The 
muddy  river  sluggishly  wound  its  way  to  the 
gulf  many  miles  below,  and  nine  months  of 
the  year  the  temperature  of  every  place  on  its 
banks  was  torrid.  Fort  Yuma,  at  its  mouth, 
was  noted  for  being  a  veritable  Tophet. 

A  yarn  illustrative  of  the  general  opinion  of 
its  climate  is  told  of  a  soldier  who  ventured 
out  in  the  middle  of  a  July  day,  and  never  re- 
turned. Diligent  search  served  only  to  discover 
a  huge  grease-spot  and  pile  of  bones  on  the 
parade  ground. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  113 

Another  tradition,  very  hackneyed  to  army 
ears,  is  that  of  a  soldier  famous  for  his  wicked- 
ness, who,  having  died,  reappeared,  and  was 
seen  hunting  for  his  blankets;  the  inference 
being  that  the  warm  place  to  which  he  had 
been  assigned  was  not  hot  enough  for  one  ac- 
customed to  Fort  Yuma's  climate. 

All  ladies  who  have  lived  there  supplement 
these  ridiculous  tales  with  more  credible  ones. 
It  is  quite  true  that  eggs,  if  not  gathered  as 
soon  as  laid,  were  sure  to  be  roasted  if  the  sun 
shone  on  them.  It  is  also  a  fact  that  those  who 
had  leisure  to  do  so  spent  the  greater  part  of 
their  time  in  the  bath,  and  Indians  would  re- 
main in  the  stream  for  hours  at  a  time,  their 
heads  covered  with  mud  as  a  protection  from 
the  sun's  rays. 

I  soon  realized  that  not  being  obliged  to  re- 
main in  so  warm  a  climate  was  a  favor,  and 
rejoiced  greatly  when  once  more  fairly  en  route^ 
although  the  two  days  had  been  very  pleasantly 
passed.  We  were  furnished  with  a  pair  of 
mules,  so  our  poor  little  mare  could  be  led  the 


114  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

remainder  of  the  way,  and  Ave  had  as  escort  two 
men  who  were  sent  into  Arizona  with  the 
weekly  mails. 

J  Our  first  day's  travel  was  pleasant ;  but  when 
night  came  on  we  were  alarmed  at  the  number 
of  signal  fires  on  all  sides,  which  indicated  the 
near  presence  of  hostile  Indians.  I  shall  never 
forget  the  shock  experienced  when  I  first  real- 
ized that  we  Avere  in  danger  from  such  a  source. 
The  past  year  had  so  accustomed  me  to  Indians, 
that  it  seemed  as  if  all  tribes  were  harmless ; 
yet  the  constant  wariness  of  our  escort  soon 
convinced  me  of  the  contrary. 

The  part  of  Arizona  through  which  we  were 
then  passing  was  such  an  agreeable  contrast  to 
our  weary  desert  journey  that  I  thoroughly  en- 
joyed the  beautiful  pine  lands;  and  the  change, 
as  we  ascended  daily  into  more  mountainous 
regions,  was  delightful.  Our  second  day  from 
Fort  Mojave,  and  the  twelfth  of  that  long  jour- 
ney, however,  considerably  dampened  my  ardor. 

The  road  had  been  rough  from  the  start,  but 
nothing  to  be  compared  with  what  we  then  ex- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  115 

perienced.  After  a  tedious  ascent  a  long  hill 
was  reached,  seemingly  miles  in  length,  and 
which  must  be  descended  amid  boulders  strewn 
all  over  the  road.  I  was  compelled  to  walk, 
with  baby  in  my  arms,  picking  my  way  as  best 
I  could  from  one  rock  to  another.  The  time 
occupied  in  making  the  descent  was  three  hours. 
My  fatigue  can  hardly  be  imagined. 

The  wagon  wheels  were  lashed  together  by 
ropes,  which  were  held  b}^  men  on  either  side ; 
and  even  then  the  vehicle  fairly  bounded  on- 
ward, each  leap  almost  wrenching  it  asunder. 
I  expected  every  moment  to  see  it  lying  in 
ruins.  That  such  was  not  its  fate  was  entirely 
due  to  the  care  Mr.  Boyd  and  the  men  took 
in  guiding  it  safely  between  and  over  the 
boulders. 

No  hill  I  have  ever  since  seen  was  like  that, 
and  no  words  are  adequate  to  give  any  idea  of 
its  horrors.  I  felt  every  moment  as  if  a  single 
mis-step  would  launch  my  infant  and  self  into 
eternity,  and  wondered  if  I  could  survive  the 
fatigue,  even  if  successful  in  placing  my  feet 


116  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

carefully  enough  to  escape  the  greater  danger. 
When  finally  our  little  company  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill  was  reached,  I  sank,  completely  ex- 
hausted. Many  days  passed  before  I  could  step 
without  feeling  the  effects  of  that  terrible 
scramble  in  mid-air. 

We  had  hoped  to  reach  our  destination  in 
four  days  after  leaving  Fort  Mojave ;  but  each 
day  seemed  longer  than  its  predecessor,  espe- 
cially as  dangers  increased.  Our  second  night 
was  spent  in  a  military  camp,  and  a  detachment 
of  troops  guarded  the  highway.  I  could  no 
longer  doubt  the  necessity  of  exercising  con- 
stant vigilance  against  hostile  foes. 

Every  animal  in  the  temporary  stables  had 
been  maimed  in  some  manner  by  Indians,  who 
would  steal  in  under  cover  of  darkness  and 
shoot  whatever  living  thing  they  saw.  The 
men  were  always  in  peril,  even  in  their  tents; 
and  the  officer  in  charge  did  not  lessen  in  any 
degree  my  uneasiness  when  he  showed  me  how 
his  tent  had  been  riddled  in  many  places  by 
bullets.      He   was    then    recovering   from   the 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  117 

effects  of  a  wound  received  while  pursuing 
Indians. 

We  had  breakfasted,  and  were  about  ready  to 
start  next  morning,  when  our  attention  was 
called  to  Indians'  footprints  all  over  the  garden- 
spot  which  the  troops  had  prepared  for  their 
hoped-for  supply  of  vegetables.  Alas  for  the 
poor  people  who  in  those  days  thought  to 
make  fortunes  out  West !  No  amount  of  energy, 
perseverance,  or  endurance,  to  say  nothing  of 
hardships  bravely  borne,  could  ward  off  the 
cruel  Indians. 

Although  it  may  be  justly  said  that  our  deal- 
ings with  the  red  men  were  the  primary  cause 
of  all  the  suffering,  yet  could  the  hundreds  of 
settlers  who  lost  their  lives  while  endeavoring 
to  make  homes  for  themselves  in  the  West  be 
avenged,  not  an  Indian  would  be  left  to  tell 
the  tale.  My  heart  was  wrung  during  those 
travels,  when,  every  hour  of  the  day,  we  passed 
a  pile  of  stones  that  marked  a  grave.  Arizona 
seemed  to  me  a  very  burying-ground  —  a  huge 
cemetery  —  for  men  and  women  killed  by 
Indians. 


118  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

In  after-years  I  agreed  perfectly  with  the 
common  army  belief  that  attempting  to  settle  a 
ranch  in  either  Arizona  or  New  Mexico  was 
simply  courting  an  inevitable  fate  —  death  at 
the  hands  of  ruthless  Indians.  History  was 
ever  new  in  those  regions,  and  kept  ever  repeat- 
ing itself.  I  frequently  heard  it  said,  referring 
to  a  comparatively  recent  settler ; 

"  Well,  his  time  will  surely  come." 

Whenever  a  ranch  was  in  an  exceptionally 
isolated  region,  the  sequel  would  be  accelerated. 
Indian  horrors  were  every-day  occurrences ;  and 
yet  I  never  grew  accustomed  to  them.  Long 
residence  among  those  much-abused  frontiers- 
men taught  me  to  feel  that  the  early  martyrs 
suffered  little  in  comparison  with  the  constant 
peril  in  which  they  lived. 

But  to  return  to  our  journey  and  its  growing 
dangers.  A  number  of  soldiers  escorted  us 
through  a  perilous  canon  outside  of  the  little 
detachment  post,  where,  at  ten  o'clock,  our 
officer  friend  reluctantly  bade  us  adieu,  saying 
we  were  in  great  danger.     Could  his  post  have 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  119 

been  left  with  safety,  he  would  willingly  have 
escorted  us  farther. 

We  rode  on,  feeling  indeed  very  anxious,  and 
soon  met  a  Major  of  the  Eighth  Cavalry,  who 
with  an  escort  of  sixteen  men  had  been  pep- 
pered by  Indians'  bullets  in  a  canon  through 
which  we  must  pass  the  same  day.  As  the  es- 
cort of  two  men  with  which  we  left  Camp  Cady 
had  not  been  augmented,  our  feelings  may  be 
imagined.  There  was  no  alternative ;  go  on  we 
must. 

I  now  see  that  we  were  then  too  young  and 
inexperienced  to  realize  the  dangers  of  our  ter- 
rible position.  It  was,  however,  soon  under- 
stood, and  before  entering  the  canon  at  six 
o'clock  that  evening  all  warlike  preparations 
possible  under  the  circumstances  had  been  made. 
A  civilian  had  joined  our  party  at  Fort  Mojave, 
and  thus  there  were  three  outriders.  The  two 
sabres  in  our  wagon  overhead  we  took  down 
and  unsheathed,  so  that,  when  thrust  out  on 
either  side,  there  seemed  to  be  four  weapons  — ■ 
at  least  we  hoped  the  Indians  would  think  so. 


120  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

and  unless  they  came  very  close,  the  dim  light 
would  favor  our  deception.  The  gun  was 
placed  so  it  could  be  used  at  a  moment's  notice. 
I  held  one  pistol,  and  Mr.  Boyd  the  other.  The 
soldiers,  with  their  bayonets  bristling,  looked  as 
warlike  as  possible  ;  and  altogether  we  relied 
upon  what  eventually  saved  our  lives  —  an 
appearance   of    strength  which  we   in   nowise 


We  had  been  told  that  the  Indians,  at  least 
in  that  region,  never  attacked  unless  confident 
of  victory ;  and  we  knew  that  unless  they  were 
directly  beside  us,  the  appearance  our  wagon 
presented,  so  covered  they  could  not  see  its  in- 
terior, and  seemingly  full  of  weapons,  would 
indicate  a  well-armed  party  of  men.  Instead, 
.  there  was  one  man,  handicapped  by  the  care 
.  of  his  team  and  the  helpless  nature  of  his 
charges  —  a  feeble  woman,  an  infant,  and  a 
diminutive  heathen,  who  on  perceiving  the  ac- 
tive preparations  being  made  for  resisting  what 
he  had  so  feared,  became  literally  green  with 
terror  and  altogether  useless. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  121 

The  canon  was  so  precipitous  on  both  sides 
that  we  seemed  to  be  traveling  between  two 
high  walls.  The  rocks  were  of  that  treacherous 
gray  against  which  I  had  been  told  an  Indian 
could  so  effectually  conceal  himself  as  to  seem 
but  a  part  of  them.  The  entire  region  was 
weird  and  awful.  The  sides  of  the  canon  tow- 
ered far  above  us  to  almost  unseen  heights, 
and  as  we  slowly  drove  onward,  our  hearts 
quivered  with  excitement  and  fear  at  the  prol>. 
ability  of  an  attack. 

We  had  proceeded  some  little  distance  and 
were  feeling  considerably  relieved,  when  sud» 
denly  a  fearful  Indian  war-whoop  arose.  It 
was  so  abrupt,  and  seemed  such  a  natural  out 
come  of  our  feai's,  that  only  for  repeated  repeti- 
tions I  could  have  believed  it  imaginary, 
Others,  however,  quickly  followed,  so  no  doubt 
could  be  entertained  of  their  reality.  I  had  only 
sufficient  consciousness  to  wonder  when  we 
should  die,  and  how.  I  glanced  involuntarily 
at  our  Chinese  servant,  who  was  crouched  in 
one  comer  of  the  wagon  in  a  most  pitiable  heap, 


122  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

and  then  at  our  poor  little  baby,  bundled  in 
many  wraps  and  sleeping  in  her  basket.  All 
were  silent.  No  word  was  uttered,  and  no 
sound  heard  but  the  lashing  of  the  whip  that 
urged  forward  our  mules.  Although  they  fairly 
leaped  onward,  yet  we  seemed  to  crawl.  Cruel 
death  was  momentarily  expected. 

At  last,  and  it  seemed  ages,  we  were  out  of 
the  cafion  and  on  open  ground.  Even  then  no 
time  was  lost.  The  mules  were  still  hurried 
on.  I  have  often  thought  that,  like  Tenny- 
son's brook,  we  might  have  "gone  on  forever" 
had  not  a  large  party  of  freighters  soon  been 
reached,  who  were  camping  in  front  of  a  blazing 
wood  fire.  Their  presence  gave  us  that  sense 
of  companionship  and  security  so  sorely  needed. 
We  joined  them ;  and  while  I  sat  in  the  blaze 
of  their  fire,  Mr.  Boyd  recounted  our  perilous 
ride.  The  conclusion  was  reached  that  we  had 
been  spared  only  because  apparently  so  well 
prepared  to  resist  attack.  Any  doubts  which 
might  have  been  entertained  concerning  the 
presence  of  foes  in  the  canon  were  dispelled 
by  what  followed. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  123 

I  crawled  that  night  under  a  wagon,  for  my 
nerves  were  too  shattered  to  sleep  without  some 
kind  of  shelter  if  it  could  be  procured,  and  my 
last  waking  thought  was  that  our  companions 
for  the  night  would  have  to  pass  next  morning 
through  the  same  dangerous  canon,  their  destina- 
tion being  California.  They  started  first,  and 
one  of  the  superintendents  —  there  were  two  in 
the  party  —  foolishly  disregarded  our  warning 
and  lagged  behind.  His  mangled  body  was 
afterwards  found  horribly  mutilated  on  the 
very  spot  where  we  had  heard  the  Indians' 
fearful  yells. 

It  was  a  well-known  fact  that  the  savages 
would  lurk  for  days  in  one  place,  and  if  dis- 
appointed by  any  party  being  too  numerous 
or  well  armed,  would  invariably  later  on  de- 
stroy some  careless  straggler*  The  freighters, 
having  escaped  such  dangers  again  and  again, 
would  frequently  become  reckless,  when  they 
were  almost  sure  to  finally  fall  victims  to  their 
lack  of  caution. 


124  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Only  two  days  were  left  in  which  to  reach 
our  destination.  The  remainder  of  the  road 
was  level,  and  no  further  danger  from  Indians 
need  be  apprehended.  Our  next  encampment 
was  at  Willow  Grove,  a  lovely  wooded  spot 
where  some  of  our  own  troops  were  stationed, 
and  but  a  short  distance  from  what  we  supposed 
was  to  be  our  home,  at  least  for  a  time. 

At  last  Prescott,  then  a  mining-town,  was 
gained.  Everything  seemed  delightful.  Situ- 
ated among  the  hills,  surrounded  by  trees,  and 
with  a  most  enjoyable  climate,  never  very  hot  or 
very  cold,  but  bracing  at  all  seasons,  it  would 
indeed  prove  a  desirable  home  to  wanderers  like 
ourselves,  and  I  fondly  hoped  we  might  remain 
there. 

We  were  warmly  welcomed  at  the  garrison, 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  125 

which  was  situated  half  a  mile  from  town. 
There  were  but  three  houses  in  the  post,  and 
all  occupied.  The  houses  contained  onl}^  three 
rooms  each,  and  one  of  the  officei*s  kindly  relin- 
quished his  room  in  my  favor.  The  ladies  were 
very  hospitable  in  providing  me  with  nourishing 
food,  of  which  I  was  in  great  need. 

Our  dismay  on  learning  that  Mr.  Boyd  must 
leave  the  next  day  to  join  his  company,  which 
had  been  sent  eighty  miles  distant  to  a  post 
called  Camp  Date  Creek,  may  be  imagined. 
The  movement  was  considered  only  temporary, 
as  the  troop  was  permanently  stationed  at  Pres- 
cott;  so,  supposing  that  my  husband  might 
return  almost  immediately,  it  was  decided  that 
I  should  remain  there. 

All  would  have  gone  well  had  there  been 
suitable  accommodations ;  but  no  sooner  had  Mr. 
Boyd  left  than  the  inspector-general,  accompa- 
nied by  several  other  officers,  arrived,  and  their 
baggage  was  placed  in  the  room  I  was  occupy- 
ing. There  was  no  alternative  but  for  me  to 
move  into  the  adjoining  room,  an  old,  deserted 


126  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

kitchen,  which  had  for  years  past  been  the 
receptacle  of  miscellaneous  dehris. 

My  bed  had  to  be  made  on  the  floor  between 
two  windows,  whose  panes  of  glass  were  either 
cracked  or  broken.  An  old  stove,  utterly  use- 
less, occupied  the  hearth.  As  the  nights  and 
mornings  were  very  cold  I  tried  to  build  a  fire ; 
but  the  smoke,  instead  of  ascending,  poured  into 
the  room  in  volumes,  and  compelled  me  to  aban- 
don the  task  as  hopeless.  I  suffered  far  more 
from  the  cold  there  than  I  had  while  on  the 
march,  and  longed  for  a  camp-fire. 

The  kitchen  was  a  perfect  curiosity  shop. 
Garments  of  every  imaginable  kind,  when  no 
longer  of  use  to  their  owners,  had  evidently 
been  left  there.  An  "  old  clothes  man  "  would 
have  rejoiced  at  the  wealth  of  rubbish.  I 
counted  twenty  pairs  of  boots  and  shoes,  and 
there  were  quite  as  many  hats,  coats,  and  nether 
garments.  The  corners  of  that  room  were  to  be 
avoided  as  one  would  avoid  the  plague.  My 
chair,  which  had  been  brought  from  California, 
was  planted  in  the  only  clean  spot  —  the  floor's 
immediate  center. 


CAVALRY  LIFE  127 

I  tried  to  imagine  myself  camping  out,  but 
my  surroundings  were  far  less  agi-eeable  than 
they  would  have  been  in  that  case,  and  which- 
ever way  my  eyes  turned,  they  met  unsightly 
objects.  No  one  seemed  to  consider  the  situa- 
tion unpleasant,  so  I  simply  resigned  myself  to 
the  inevitable. 

After  I  had  been  living  in  that  way  for  ten 
days,  the  post  surgeon  came  in  and  said : 

"  Mrs.  Boyd,  I  have  observed  your  disagreea- 
ble plight  if  no  one  else  has,  and  am  exceed- 
ingly sorry.  I  am  ordered  to  Camp  Date 
Creek,  and  if  you  would  like  will  escort  you." 

No  farther  words  were  needed.  I  was  ready 
to  leave  immediately ;  and  when  told  of  the 
disagreeables  that  would  be  encountered  simply 
laughed,  I  was  so  tired  of  homelessness. 

Prescott  was  in  such  a  healthy  location  as  to 
be  a  very  desirable  station,  while  Camp  Date 
Creek  was  low  and  malarious.  The  post  sta- 
tistics showed  that  eighty  per  cent  of  the  men 
were  then  suffering  from  fever.  The  extreme 
heat  and  numerous  supply  of  vermin  were  also 


128  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

enlarged  upon;  but  nothing  daunted  me,  and  I 
went  on  my  way  rejoicing. 

The  journey  was  indeed  very  trying.  The 
road  was  principally  a  lava  bed,  and  we  were 
fearfully  jolted.  I  disliked  making  trouble,  and 
remember  riding  for  miles,  holding  on  to  the 
basket  in  which  baby  was  lying,  which  had  been 
placed  on  the  bottom  of  the  vehicle  at  my  feet. 
To  prevent  the  basket  —  precious  contents  and 
all  —  from  slipping  out  under  the  front  seat,  I 
was  obliged  to  cling  tightly  to  it,  and  at  the 
same  time  firmly  brace  myself  in  order  to  keep 
from  being  tossed  about. 

However,  everything  must  have  an  end  — 
even  such  a  journey.  I  was  inexpressibly  glad 
to  find  a  house  once  more  over  my  head,  and 
to  receive  my  husband's  hearty  welcome. 

Army  life  is  uncertain  in  the  extreme,  and 
our  detail  proved  no  exception  to  the  rule. 
The  troop  was  sent  to  Camp  Date  Creek  for 
a  month,  but  it  remained  a  year,  until  the 
regiment  left  Arizona.  The  consolidation  of 
regiments    was   at   that    time    being    effected. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  129 

The  infantry  had  been  reduced  from  forty  to 
twenty-five  regiments,  which  necessitated  many 
moves,  and  was  tlie  occasion  for  the  detention 
there  of  some  troops  until  more  infantry 
arrived. 

It  was  indeed  a  desolate  and  undesirable 
locality.  The  country  was  ugly,  flat,  and  inex- 
pressibly dreary.  The  section  stretching  in 
front  of  our  camp  was  called  "  bad  lands " 
(mala  pice).  The  only  pretty  spot  at  all  near 
was  a  slow,  sluggish  stream  some  miles  away, 
where  no  one  dared  remain  long  for  fear  of 
malaria. 

Our  only  associate  was  the  doctor,  and  sub- 
sequently, when  a  company  of  infantry  arrived, 
two  officers  ;  but  for  at  least  six  months  of  that 
year  I  was  the  only  woman  within  at  least  fifty 
miles.  I  found,  too,  that  housekeeping  was  a 
burden ;  for  in  all  the  travel  from  north  to 
south,  and  the  reverse,  through  Arizona,  every 
one  stopped  en  route.  Before  we  left  I  felt 
competent  to  keep  a  hotel  if  experience  was 
any  education  in  tiie  art.     Even  stage  passen- 


130  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

gers  had  frequently  to  be  cared  for,  as  in  that 
region  it  would  have  been  cruel,  when  delays 
occurred,  to  have  permitted  them  to  have  gone 
farther  without  food. 

As  usual,  I  had  the  help  of  a  soldier ;  but 
unfortunately  one  who,  when  he  found  that  too 
much  was  likely  to  be  required  of  him,  took 
refuge  in  intoxication ;  then  the  entire  burden 
fell  upon  me.  Our  little  Chinese  boy  proved  a 
treasure.  He  could  wash  and  iron  capitally, 
excepting  my  husband's  shirts  and  the  baby's 
clothes,  the  ironing  of  both  of  which  came 
upon  me. 

That  year  of  my  life  was,  in  spite  of  many 
hardships,  a  very  happy  one.  I  have  often 
since  wondered  how  it  could  have  been  so,  for 
surely  no  one  ever  lived  more  queerly.  The 
houses  were  built  of  mud-brick  (adobe),  which 
was  not,  as  is  usual,  plastered  either  inside  or 
out.  Being  left  unfinished  they  soon  began  to 
crumble  in  the  dry  atmosphere,  and  large  holes 
or  openings  formed,  in  which  vermin,  espe- 
cially centipeds,  found  hiding-places.     The  lat- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  131 

ter  were  so  plentiful  that  I  have  frequently 
counted  a  dozen  or  more  crawlinor  in  and  out 

o 

of  the  interstices.  Scorpions  and  rattlesnakes 
also  took  up  tlieir  abode  with  us,  and  one  snake 
of  a  more  harmless  nature  used  almost  daily  to 
thrust  his  head  through  a  hole  in  the  floor.  Al- 
together we  had  plenty  of  such  visitors. 

In  faithfully  recording  my  experiences,  hon- 
esty compels  me  to  state  that  although  I  have 
encountered  almost  every  species  of  noxious 
and  deadly  vermin,  from  the  ubiquitous  rattle- 
snake to  the  deadly  vinageroon,  my  real  trials 
have  arisen  from  the  simpler  sorts,  such  as 
wasps,  gnats,  fleas,  flies,  and  mosquitoes,  which, 
everywhere  prolific,  are  doubly  so  on  the  fron- 
tier. I  think  a  kind  Providence  must  have 
watched  over  our  encounters  with  deadly  rep- 
tiles, though  nothing  could  save  us  from  ordi- 
nary pests. 

Perhaps  the  most  trying  of  all  my  experiences 
was  when  we  made  our  camp  after  dark.  On 
those  occasions  we  would  be  almost  certain 
either  to  find  that  our  tents  had  been  erected 


132  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

close  beside  a  bed  of  cacti,  to  fall  into  whenever 
we  moved,  or  over  an  ant-heap  of  such  dimen- 
sions that  cannot  be  conceived  of  by  any  one  in 
the  East.  The  busy  population  of  one  of  those 
ant-hills  was  among  the  millions ;  and  evidently 
each  inhabitant  felt  called  upon  to  resent  our 
intrusion,  for  soon  we  would  be  literally  cov- 
ered with  the  stinging  pests.  When  our  little 
ones  were  the  victims,  as  often  happened,  we 
longed  to  live  in  a  land  where  such  creatures 
were  unknown. 

But  to  return  to  a  description  of  our  home. 
The  house  consisted  of  one  long  room,  with  a 
door  at  either  end,  and  two  windows  on  each 
side.  The  room  was  sufficiently  large  to  en- 
able us  to  divide  it  by  a  canvas  curtain,  and 
thus  have  a  sitting-room  and  bedroom.  We 
felt  very  happy  on  account  of  having  a  floor 
other  than  the  ground,  though  it  consisted  only 
of  broad,  rough,  unplaned  planks,  which  had  ' 
slirunk  so  that  the  spaces  between  them  were 
at  least  two  inches  in  width,  and  proved  a  trap 
for  every  little  article  that  fell  upon  the  floor. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  138 

The  brown,  rough  adobe  walls  were  very 
uninviting,  and  centipeds  were  so  numerous  I 
never  dared  place  our  bed  within  at  least  two 
feet  of  them.  The  adjoining  house,  which  was 
vacant,  I  used  for  a  dining-room.  Our  kitchen 
stood  as  far  away  in  another  direction,  so  I 
seemed  to  daily  walk  miles  in  the  simple 
routine  of  housekeeping  duties. 

The  country  was  very  desolate,  and  the  dis- 
mal cry  of  the  coyotes  at  night  anything  but 
enlivening.  Those  animals  became  so  bold  as 
actually  to  approach  our  door,  and  one  night 
carried  off  a  box  of  shoe-blacking.  They  evi- 
dently did  not  care  for  that  kind  of  relish,  as  it 
was  discovered  next  day  a  short  distance  from 
the  house. 

We  killed  so  many  snakes  that  I  made  a  col- 
lection of  rattles.  One  of  the  tales  told  about 
me  was  that  a  box  of  them  sent  to  New  York 
was  labelled  ''  Rattlesnakes'  Rattles  !  Poison !  " 
Of  course  that  was  not  true ;  but  our  lives 
were  so  monotonous  we  enjoyed  any  joke  on 
each  other. 


134  CAVALBT  LIFE. 

I  thought  the  last  would  never  have  been 
heard  of  my  early  pronunciation  of  "  Fort 
Mojave,"  which  it  is  probably  needless  to  state 
was  exactly  in  English  accord  with  its  spelling. 
Probably  had  I  known  the  word  was  Spanish, 
not  understanding  the  language,  my  pronuncia- 
tion would  have  been  the  same. 

I  was  always  delighted  when  ladies  passed 
through  the  post,  and  invariably  begged  them 
to  remain  as  long  as  possible.  One  lovely 
woman,  whose  husband  had  been  ordered  from 
Southern  to  Northern  Arizona,  only  to  find  on 
reaching  there  that  his  station  was  to  be  but 
twenty  miles  from  the  place  he  had  just  left, 
gladdened  me  twice  by  her  presence.  When  I 
expressed  regret  because  she  was  obliged  to 
traverse  the  same  road  again  during  such  ex- 
tremely warm  weather,  her  assurance  that  she 
did  not  in  the  least  mind  it,  surprised  and  re- 
lieved me. 

I  found  Arizona  even  worse  than  Nevada,  so 
far  as  supplies  were  concerned.  We  could  sel- 
dom obtain  luxuries  of  any  kind,  and  when  pro- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  135 

curable  they  were  exorbitant  in  price.  Eggs 
cost  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  dozen ;  butter 
the  same  per  pound ;  chickens  two  dollars  and . 
fifty  cents  apiece;  potatoes,  twenty  cents  per 
pound ;  kerosene  oil,  five  dollars  a  gallon,  and 
I  was  told  it  had  been  as  high  as  fourteen 
dollars.  Fortunately  we  could  buy  candles  at 
government  rates. 

We  were  often  at  our  wit's  ends  to  supply 
food  for  guests.  I  had  five  bantam  chickens, 
that  each  laid  an  egg  daily  for  some  time,  which 
we  considered  great  cause  for  thankfulness.  I 
actually  learned  to  concoct  dainties  without 
many  of  the  ingredients  usually  supposed  ne- 
cessary, and  they  were  declared  very  good. 

Finally,  after  having  been  at  Camp  Date 
Creek  some  months,  another  lady  joined  us,  at 
which  I  rejoiced  exceedingly.  She  proved  a 
very  great  acquisition  to  our  army  circle. 

Our  mail  was  due  once  a  week,  but  became 
very  uncertain  on  account  of  the  Indians.  Mr. 
Boyd  was  twice  awakened  late  at  night  by 
sentries,  who  reported  the  return  of  one  man 


136  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

very  badly  wounded,  and  that  the  other  had 
been  left  dead,  and  the  mail  scattered  all  over 
the  country.  Whenever  the  drums  beat  over 
the  remains  of  any  young  man,  thoughts  of 
his  absent  friends  always  came  to  me.  Our 
miserable  little  cemetery,  out  on  that  lonely 
plain,  had  not  one  grave  whose  quiet  occupant 
was  more  than  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and 
none  had  died  a  natural  death. 

My  husband  was  the  busiest  man  imaginable. 
He  had  not  only  to  command  his  company,  but 
was  also  in  charge  of  all  stores  and  buildings. 
The  quartermaster's  storehouse  was  a  long  dis- 
tance off,  and  Mr.  Boyd  was  there  all  day  long. 
I  used  to  be  in  continual  fear  lest  Indians 
should  attack  him.  No  greater  diligence  could 
have  been  displayed  by  aAy  one,  and  no  one 
could  have  worked  more  conscientiously  or 
faithfully  than  he  did  all  through  life. 

We  feared  to  ride  over  the  country  on  ac- 
count of  the  Indians,  and  therefore  had  less 
amusement  and  recreation  than  while  in  Ne- 
vada,  yet  contentment  shed  its  ^Dlessed  rays 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  137 

about  us.  I  was  always  joyful,  and  ceased  to 
wish  that  the  hardships  we  were  enduring  might 
be  exchanged  for  even  attic  life  if  in  New 
York.  My  regret  on  learning  tliat  we  were  to 
leave  for  New  Mexico  was  keen,  although  aware 
better  quarters  were  awaiting  us.  But  I  had 
grown  to  love  my  Arizona  home,  if  the  walls 
were  only  rough  adobe  ones.  In  just  nine 
months  from  the  time  of  my  arrival  at  Date 
Creek,  and  in  midwinter,  we  left  for  our  new 
destination.  It  was  with  vexation  of  spirit  that 
I  again  took  up  the  march. 


138  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  many  delays  conse- 
quent upon  frontier  travel  may  be  mentioned 
the  receipt,  just  before  leaving  for  New  Mexico, 
of  a  box  that  had  been  fourteen  months  en 
route.,  though  sent  by  express  from  New  York. 
To  recount  the  mishaps  which  had  befallen  it 
would  be  tiresome  ;  yet  that  was  but  one  of 
many  similar  experiences. 

I  had  ordered  the  box  in  December,  while  at 
Camp  Halleck,  fully  expecting  it  would  reach 
San  Francisco  by  the  time  we  did.  The  con- 
tents were  very  valuable,  and  included  an  army 
overcoat  intended  as  a  surprise  for  my  husband, 
together  with  many  other  useful  and  needed 
additions  to  our  wardrobe. 

It  was  shipped  by  my  brother,  who  mailed 
at  the   same   time   two  bills   of  lading.     The 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  139 

box  arrived  safely  by  sea,  but  the  mail,  which 
was  sent  overland,  was  snowbound  on  the 
Union  Pacific,  and  consequently  our  letters 
were  delayed.  Knowing  my  brother's  habitual 
promptness,  I  haunted  the  express  office  in  San 
Francisco,  only  to  be  told  again  and  again  that 
no  such  box  was  there.  We  therefore  started 
for  Arizona  without  it.  On  our  arrival,  letters 
and  the  two  bills  of  lading  were  awaiting  us. 
The  box  had  been  in  San  Francisco  all  the  time. 

One  of  the  bills  was  intrusted  to  an  officer 
going  there,  who  promised  to  attend  to  the  mat- 
ter, but  he  never  troubled  himself  about  it. 
After  months  had  elapsed  we  begged  another 
officer  to  hunt  up  the  box,  which  he  not  only 
did,  but  kindly  brought  it  to  us,  after  its  arrival 
had  been  vainly  expected  for  fourteen  months. 
The  strangest  part  of  the  whole  affair,  to  my 
unworldly  mind,  was  that  the  first  officer  was 
under  great  obligations  to  us,  while  the  one 
who  really  obtained  the  box  was  almost  a 
stranger. 

The  present  may  not  seem  a  fitting  occasion 


140  CAVALRY  LIFE, 

to  moralize ;  but  as  this  is  a  true  account  of  my 
army  life  and  experience,  I  desire  to  state  that 
my  reward  for  undue  exertions  on  any  one's 
behalf  was  usually  the  basest  ingratitude.  Of 
course  this  is  only  in  accordance  with  all  the 
time-honored  maxims  of  wiser  people  than  my- 
self, but  the  personal  experience  was  none  the 
less  unpleasant. 

The  officer  to  whom  I  refer  as  having  been 
under  obligations,  had  brought  a  sick  wife  and 
child  to  the  post  for  a  temporary  sojourn,  but 
the  illness  of  his  wife  was  so  prolonged  I  was 
completely  worn  out  nursing  her.  As  an  ad- 
dition to  my  troubles  a  second  child  appeared 
upon  the  scene,  which  I  was  not  only  compelled 
to  care  for,  but  supply  with  a  wardrobe,  in 
order  that  they  might  leave  for  California  in  a 
month's  time.  I  was  ill  in  bed,  the  result  of 
overwork,  for  weeks  after  they  left,  yet  never 
have  received  a  line  from  them. 

My  long  experience  on  the  frontier  plainly 
demonstrated  that  the  absence  of  civilization 
and  all  its  appliances  compelled  any  one  with  a 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  141 


sympathetic  heart  to  learn  all  branches  of  nurs- 
ing. Before  having  been  married  ten  years  I 
had  acted  as  midwife  at  least  that  number  of 
times,  and,  far  sadder,  had  prepared  sweet  and 
beautiful  women  for  their  last  resting-places. 

Few  who  have  seen  delicately  nurtured  city 
girls- marry  so  gladly  the  men  of  their  choice, 
have  any  idea  of  what  they  must  endure  in 
army  life.  The  utter  absence  of  so  much  that 
is  considered  indispensable  in  ordinary  homes, 
added  to  the  constant  possibility  of  a  move  at 
the  most  infelicitous  moment,  causes  anxiety 
and  restlessness  which  have  no  adequate  com- 
pensations in  either  the  emoluments  or  glory 
that  can  be  gained  in  the  service.  Children 
always  enjoy  frontier  travel,  tut  anxiety  falls 
to  the  lot  of  mothers. 

In  one  march  of  our  regiment  from  New 
Mexico  to  Texas,  nine  children  were  born  en 
route.  In  those  instances  which  came  under 
my  observation,  both  mothers  and  babies  were 
on  the  second  day  bundled  into  ambulances  and 
marched  onward.     In  my  opinion  the  natural 


142  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

desire  of  army  officers'  wives  to  be  with  their 
husbands  has  cost  the  sacrifice  of  many  precious 
lives;  while  those  who  survive  the  hardships 
have  bitter  sufferings  to  contend  with  in  after 
years  of  chronic  illness. 

It  is  notorious  that  no  provision  is  made  for 
women  in  the  army.  Many  indignation  meet- 
ings were  held  at  which  we  discussed  the  mat- 
ter, and  rebelled  at  being  considered  mere  camp 
followers.  It  is  a  recognized  fact  that  woman's 
presence — as  wife — alone  prevents  demoraliza- 
tion, and  army  officers  are  always  encouraged 
to  marry  for  that  reason. 

While  at  Camp  Date  Creek  we  formed  sev- 
eral pleasant  friendships,  and  it  is  a  matter  of 
regret  that  in  the  years  which  have  since  elapsed 
I  have  never  met  any  of  the  ladies.  Through 
the  resignation  of  our  company  captain  and 
promotion  of  the  senior  lieutenant,  an  addition 
was  made  to  our  circle  of  a  brave,  true  soldier  — 
a  man  appointed  from  the  ranks  —  who  by  his 
nobility  of  character  graced  the  higher  position. 

Consolidation   at   that   time  weeded   out  all 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  143 

worthless  men.  If  an  officer's  reputation  was 
aspersed,  the  charges  were  investigated,  and  if 
proved,  the  chances  of  retaining  his  commission 
were  very  slight. 

A  second  lieutenant  of  our  troop  was  a  scamp. 
He  victimized  me  before  receiving  his  conge. 
I  had  supposed  the  mere  title,  "  officer  of  the 
army,"  to  be  synonymous  with  honesty,  so  in- 
trusted to  him  the  hoardings  of  many  months 
with  which  I  had  designed  to  purchase  a  pipe, 
and  present  to  my  husband.  The  amount, 
seventy-five  dollars,  was  large  to  me,  and  evi- 
dently to  him  also,  for  I  never  saw  the  money 
again,  nor  the  pipe  it  was  to  buy.  Neither  did 
the  lieutenant  return,  for  he  was  dismissed  the 
service,  or  rather  dropped  for  incompetency. 

Mr.  Boyd  had  his  pipe  after  all ;  for  not  dis- 
couraged by  my  loss  I  began  to  save  again,  and 
although  funds  accumulated  slowly,  and  a  year 
passed  before  the  requisite  amount  was  laid  by, 
the  pipe  remains  to  this  day  a  memento  of  my 
early  extravagance. 

We   had   no   outside   society  at  Date  Creek 


144  CA  VALBY  LIFE. 

except  a  few  rough  frontiersmen,  who  not  only 
dared  the  danger  from  Indians,  but  also  that 
of  the  low,  malarious  atmosphere,  for  the  sake 
of  raising  vegetables,  which  commanded  high 
prices.  True,  our  small  military  post  was  the 
only  market,  and  as  all  supplies  required  to  sup- 
plement the  gardeners'  stores  were  by  reason 
of  freight  equally  high-priced,  I  doubt  if  the 
men  even,  succeeded  in  making  a  comfortable 
living. 

With  all  its  drawbacks  life  was  very  enjoy- 
able. Though  out  of  the  question  to  go  far, 
yet  we  explored  the  country  within  a  radius 
of  several  miles.  Neither  game  nor  fish  were 
found,  but  it  was  a  pleasure  to  meet  the  strange 
characters  with  which  that  region  abounded. 

We  indulged  in  one  visit  to  our  regimental 
friends  at  Camp  Willow  Grove.  Everything 
was  delightful  when  once  there,  but  we  had 
as  usual  a  disagreeable  time  going.  Two  days 
were  consumed  on  the  way.  The  first  night 
was  spent  at  a  stage  station  where  all  the 
strange  and  uncouth  experiences  of  our  Nevada 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  145 

journey  were  repeated.  There  was,  however,  a 
woman  in  this  rough  home  who  shared  her  bed 
with  me  ;  but  as  it  was  originally  intended  only 
for  one  person,  and  we  each  had  an  infant  to 
care  for,  it  soon  became  a  question  of  whether 
or  not  I,  who  occupied  the  side  next  the  wall, 
should  be  shoved  through  it. 

The  thin  boards  of  which  the  house  was  built 
were  distinguished,  as  is  all  frontier  lumber,  by 
their  ability  to  warp,  and  therefore  proved  a 
protection  only  from  the  rain,  and  not  from  the 
wind  which  blew  through  the  knot-holes  and 
cracks.  The  inclemency  of  the  weather  made 
matters  worse.  It  was  a  fearful  night!  I 
mentally  resolved  never  to  spend  another  in 
that  rickety  house.  We  changed  our  route 
returning,  and  passed  through  Prescott. 

About  that  time  we  began  to  rejoice  in  the 
prospect  of  additional  stores  being  furnished 
by  the  commissary  department.  After  striving 
for  nearly  two  years  to  vary  the  monotony  of 
our  rations,  we  felt  as  if  the  promised  treat,  in 
the  shape  of  chocolate,  macaroni,  prunes,  raisins. 


146  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

and  currants,  would  be  almost  too  mucli  of  a 
luxury,  and  care  must  be  exercised  if  indiges- 
tion was  not  desired. 

How  much  we  enjoyed  the  slight  variety ! 
The  zest  with  which  cook  and  I  rang  the 
changes  on  those  different  comestibles  would 
seem  really  childish  at  the  present  day,  when 
almost  all  varieties  of  canned  goods  and  luxu- 
ries in  the  shape  of  grocers'  supplies  can  be 
found  at  every  military  post,  however  small 
and  remote. 

The  amount  of  pleasure  which  can  be  derived 
from  the  most  insignificant  sources  seems  in- 
credible ;  but  I  attribute  much  of  the  happiness 
I  found  in  army  life  to  my  delight  in  trivial 
matters.  Then  we  all  were  so  united  in  mutual 
interests.  The  officers,  instead  of  being  im- 
mersed in  business  cares,  were  ever  ready  to  be 
amazed  or  amused,  as  the  case  might  be,  with 
the  results  of  our  industry,  and  absolute  delight 
was  manifested  over  the  most  trifling  plan  for 
social  enjoyment,  which  doubled  the  pleasure. 

I  have  for  many  years  entertained  the  greatest 


CAVALRY  LIFE,  147 

regard  for  physicians,  because  during  our  army 
life  tliey  displayed  so  warm  an  interest  in  my 
children.  One  of  the  merits  of  frontier  resi- 
dence is  that  little  ones  thrive  so  much  better 
there  than  in  a  city,  and  rarely  suffer  from  the 
many  ailments  to  which  town-bred  children  are 
subject.  The  interest  they  inspire  in  every  one, 
especially  the  post  surgeon,  whose  constant 
presence  in  cases  of  emergency  gives  one  a  feel- 
ing of  comfort  and  security  nothing  else  can 
afford,  is  very  gratifying.  The  result,  even  in 
cases  of  severe  illness,  is  usually  complete  re- 
covery. Both  parents  and  patients  unavoidably 
benefit  by  the  surroundings. 

Our  doctor  at  Camp  Date  Creek  was  a  char- 
acter so  uncommon  that  my  recollections  of 
him  can  never  be  effaced.  He  was  an  Irishman, 
a  grandnephew  of  John  Philpot  Curran,  the 
distinguished  Irish  wit,  and  himself  so  full  of 
humor  that  his  very  presence  was  an  antidote 
to  sickness  and  sorrow. 

The  doctor  received  a  government  contract 
after  having  been  in  America  but  a  few  months. 


148  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

He  never  wearied  of  recounting  the  impres- 
sions American  slang  had  made  upon  him. 
Immediately  on  entering  our  house  he  would 
seize  baby  and  hold  her  for  hours,  all  the  time 
pouring  forth  reminiscences  of  Ireland,  and  ex- 
pressing surprise  at  the  difference  between  the 
two  countries. 

Our  slang  was  described  as  very  effective, 
especially  the  Californian,  which  had,  or  so  the 
doctor  assured  me,  a  distinct  vocabulary  of  its 
own,  that,  like  adjectives,  was  capable  of  being 
positive,  comparative,  and  superlative.  As  an 
example  he  instanced  the  following : 

"You  bet,  you  bet  you,  you  bet  your  life." 
"Why,"  said  he,  "here  is  a  perfect  declension! 
You  bet  your  boots,  you  bet  your  bottom 
dollar,  you  bet  stamps." 

The  genial  Irish  doctor  was  immensely  pleased 
with  our  vernacular,  if  with  nothing  else. 

It  would  afford  me  much  pleasure  to  prolong 
the  narration  of  incidents  connected  with  those 
friends  who  aided  so  greatly  in  making  our 
life  enjoyable,  but  I  must  hurry  on  with  the 
account  of  our  journey  to  New  Mexico. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  149 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Our  little  daughter  was  just  eleven  months 
old  when  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  move. 
We  started  on  our  long  journey  in  mid-winter. 
The  troops  from  Prescott  were  to  cross  directly 
into  New  Mexico,  and  we  had  hoped  to  accom- 
pany them,  but  were  instead  sent  to  join  others 
from  the  southern  posts.  That  made  our  jour- 
ney much  longer,  as  after  going  in  a  southerly, 
then  easterly  direction,  our  line  lay  north  to 
Fort  Stanton,  New  Mexico. 

Eve  could  hardly  have  felt  more  reluctant 
to  leave  the  Garden  of  Eden  than  I  did  when 
we  bade  farewell  to  the  camp,  which  though 
indeed  desolate,  never  had  seemed  so  to  me, 
but,  rather,  the  most  delightful  imaginable  spot. 
I  cried  bitterly  for  days.  My  packing  was 
accomplished  with  a  heavy  heart,  I  was  so  mis- 


150  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

erable  at  the  thought  of  leaving  that  which  had 
been  my  first  real  home. 

We  were  to  have  no  company  for  some  days 
but  that  of  the  troop  and  our  dear  old  captain, 
who  was  really  like  one  of  ourselves.  His  true 
and  loving  nature  had  greatly  endeared  him  to 
us,  and  he  formed  a  firm  link  in  the  family 
chain. 

Unaccustomed  to  any  comfort  on  former  jour- 
neys, I  was  not  inclined  to  exact  much  on  that, 
so  soon  learned  instinctively  to  fall  into  the 
regular  routine  and  discipline,  and  expected  no 
consideration  on  account  of  my  sex.  I  had 
never  before  traveled  with  troops ;  and  though 
I  did  not  like  to  rise  long  before  the  first  peep 
of  day,  and  after  a  hurried  and  scanty  break- 
fast climb  into  an  ambulance  and  drive  for 
hours,  I  soon  learned  to  do  so  without  a  mur- 
mur. My  reward  came  in  the  praise  our  cap- 
tain bestowed,  when  he  declared  that  during 
the  entire  march  of  six  long,  weary  weeks,  I 
had  never  caused  one  moment's  delay  or  trouble. 

I  have  often  since  questioned  whether  some 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  151 

pLan  might  not  have  been  devised  to  prevent 
the  officers'  wives  from  being  subjected  to  the 
stringent  rules  that  must  be  enforced  among 
soldiers.  I  suppose  that  just  as  a  woman  whose 
husband  is  in  business  regulates  her  household 
according  to  the  needs  or  conveniences  of  its 
head,  so,  with  the  same  spirit,  the  wife  of  an 
army  officer  endures  the  hardships  her  hus- 
band's position  imposes. 

Our  beloved  commanding  officer  had  been  in 
the  army  so  many  years  that  the  possibility  of 
deviating  in  any  degree  from  the  routine  which 
had  become  second  nature  doubtless  never  oc- 
curred to  him.  Probably  no  question  of  expe- 
diency —  simply  that  of  duty  —  ever  suggested 
itself. 

Though  a  sufferer  all  my  life  from  army  dis- 
cipline, which  has  continually  controlled  my 
movements,  yet,  when  chafing  most  against  its 
restraints,  T  have  admired  the  grand  soldierly 
spirit  which  made  nearly  every  officer  uncom- 
plainingly forego  all  personal  comfort  for  the 
sake  of  duty.     No  one  outside  the  army  can 


152  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

realize  what  the  true  soldier  relinquishes  when 
he  forsakes  home  and  family  for  the  noble 
cause. 

Every  one  has  read  or  heard  of  the  mad 
courage  displayed  in  times  of  war,  and  my 
knowledge  of  the  soldier  is  in  times  of  peace ; 
yet  I  have  then  seen  exhibited  what  to  me  is  by 
far  the  truer  heroism.  It  is  easy  to  be  brave 
when  war  trumps  sound  and  the  spirit  is  roused 
to  great  hopes  of  personal  achievements,  when 
love  for  a  cause  deepens  the  ardor  which  sus- 
tains men  even  in  death ;  but  tame  submission 
to  petty  and  altogether  unnecessary  hardships, 
because  in  the  line  of  duty  and  part  of  a  sol- 
dier's inevitable  fate,  is,  in  my  opinion,  far  more 
praiseworthy. 

Our  captain  was  a  hero  in  the  truest  sense  of 
the  word.  Like  many  others,  he  had  served  for 
years  during  our  civil  war  as  a  private  before 
being  promoted  to  the  rank  of  an  officer.  But 
after  promotion  the  possession  and  exercise  of 
rare  soldierly  qualities  soon  enabled  him  to 
reach  a  position  of  influence.     He  was  intrusted 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  153 


with  the  command  of  a  company,  which  after  a 
desperate  resistance  was  captured.  Having 
been  severely  wounded,  he  was  released  on 
parole,  and  remained  in  a  little  town  of  South- 
ern New  Mexico,  where  he  was  well  taken  care 
of,  and  during  that  season  of  forced  inactivity 
recovered  his  health. 

Almost  anyone  would  have  considered  him 
fairly  entitled  to  pay ;  but  such  was  his  idea  of 
rectitude  that  he  refused  to  accept  a  dollar,  not 
considering  that  it  had  been  fairly  earned ;  and 
to  this  day  the  five  months'  pay  due  him  while 
a  prisoner  remains  in  the  coffers  of  our  govern- 
ment. The  subsequent  life  of  this  honorable 
man  has  been  one  of  duty  and  devotion  to  coun- 
try. His  health  is  ruined  by  the  almost  incred- 
ible hardships  a  cavalry  soldier's  duties  entail. 

We  journeyed  south  through  Arizona  to  Tuc- 
son, then  turned  east.  Our  outfit  consisted  of 
a  wall  tent,  which  on  encamping  at  night  was 
placed  on  as  smooth  ground  as  could  be  found, 
and  a  mess  chest  filled  with  supplies.  By  pla- 
cing a  support  under  the  raised  cover  of  the  lat- 


154  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

ter,  and  filling  the  open  space  with  a  board  that 
fitted  nicely,  it  could  be  utilized  as  a  table. 
The  interior  contained  plates  and  dishes  in 
addition  to  supplies,  and  the  moment  we  reached 
camp  our  cook,  a  soldier,  would  begin  prepara- 
tions for  a  meal,  which  though  ever  so  plain 
was  always  done  full  justice  to  by  appetites  the 
long  ride  had  sharpened. 

In  accordance  with  my  usual  habit,  I  made  all 
necessary  preparations  in  advance  for  supplying 
our  wants ;  and  it  soon  became  more  a  question 
of  quantity  than  of  quality,  for  the  generous 
hearts  of  Mr.  Boyd  and  the  captain  always  for- 
got that  our  supplies  were  limited.  An  in- 
stance of  their  thoughtlessness  in  such  matters 
was  on  one  occasion  evinced  by  the  arrival, 
unexpectedly  to  me,  of  four  guests  whom  they 
had  invited  to  remain  with  us  for  a  few  days. 
To  supply  food  for  a  week  —  as  it  happened 
in  that  case  —  to  those  extra  people,  blessed 
with  unusually  good  appetites,  taxed  my  inge- 
nuity. 

We  had  by  that  time  reached  the  celebrated 


CAVALEY  LIFE.  155 


Indian  villages  of  the  Pi  mas  and  Maricopas. 
Those  two  tribes  had  been  at  peace  with  the 
pale  faces  for  a  century.  They  cultivated  land, 
and  were  industrious  and  prosperous.  Their 
villages  stretched  along  the  highway  for  many 
miles,  so  we  spent  six  days  among  them.  They 
"watclied  our  progress  in  the  well-known,  some- 
what indifferent  Indian  fashion,  though  evin- 
cing real  interest  when  we  encamped  at  night, 
and  swarming  about  us  with  various  wares  for 
sale,  such  as  pottery  and  baskets,  both  unique  in 
pattern  and  very  serviceable.  The  latter  were 
made  so  fine  in  texture  and  quality  as  to  hold 
water.  The  various  designs  in  which  those 
useful  articles  were  woven  displayed  much 
taste. 

We  felt  that  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and 
honey  had  indeed  been  reached.  Not  only 
could  eggs  and  chickens  be  bought,  but  so 
cheaply  we  could  indulge  in  them  to  our 
hearts'  content. 

The  Pima  and  Maricopa  Indians,  like  all 
others,   were    unprepossessing   in   appearance ; 


156  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

but  aware  that  after  leaving  them  we  would 
be  once  more  among  the  murderous  Apaches,  I, 
for  one  at  least,  enjoyed  their  society  because 
of  the  protection  it  afforded. 

Every  night  when  we  pitched  our  tents  the 
women  would  crowd  about  and  indulge  in 
ecstasies  over  the  little  white  baby  whose  ablu- 
tions were  a  source  of  constant  and  serious  won- 
derment. This  can  be  well  understood  when 
one  remembers  that  Indians  rarely,  if  ever,  use 
water  other  than  for  drinking  purposes.  I 
never  permitted  any  of  them  to  touch  baby, 
being  afraid  to  do  so. 

Our  little  Chinaman,  with  his  long  pigtail, 
also  caused  much  amazement  and  no  doubt 
speculation  as  to  what  he  really  was.  As  no 
attempt  was  made  to  disguise  this,  he  evidently 
became  at  once  disgusted  with  notoriety.  It 
was,  I  believe,  the  cause  of  his  one  day  appear- 
ing minus  that  appendage  so  revered  by  all 
Chinese  — his  cue.  When  I  inquired  what  had 
become  of  it,  and  told  him  he  could  never  return 
to  China,  he  replied  ; 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  15T 


"Me  no  care.  Me  want  to  be  'Melican 
man." 

Our  baby  was  singularly  fair  and  white  ;  and 
in  all  our  travels,  both  among  Indians  and 
Mexicans,  all  went  into  raptures  over  the  chil- 
dren, who  with  their  sunny  heads  were  such 
utter  contrasts  to  the  swarthy  races  among 
which  we  moved. 

A  few  days  of  travel  after  leaving  the  Indian 
villages  brought  us  to  Tucson,  then  an  insignifi- 
cant town  of  fiat  mud  houses,  so  unprepossessing 
that  we  were  glad  to  drive  through  without  stop- 
ping, and  encamp  beside  a  beautiful  stream  two 
miles  beyond.  The  town  was  then  being  deci- 
mated by  small-pox,  which  raged  among  the 
Mexicans.  We  were  obliged  to  flee  from  con- 
tact with  it,  especially  as  our  soldiers  were 
always  ready  to  explore  any  new  place,  regard- 
less of  consequences. 

We  spent  one  day  in  sight  seeing,  though  the 
only  point  of  special  interest  was  a  noted  church 
nine  miles  from  Tucson.  I  cannot  express  the 
astonishment  excited  by  the  sight  of  that  house 


158  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

of  worship  built  in  those  vast  wilds,  hundreds  of 
miles  from  all  civilization.  The  edifice,  of  noble 
proportions,  was  of  red  brick  and  whitish  stucco. 
Both  belfry  and  tower  were  complete.  The  in- 
terior decorations  were  profuse,  and  covered  the 
walls.  The  floor,  once  hard  and  smooth,  had 
been  worn  into  hollows  by  the  footsteps  of 
countless  devotees,  whose  race  even  was  un- 
known, though  surmised  to  be  that  of  the 
ancient  Aztecs,  or  followers  of  Montezuma. 

I  doubt  if  even  in  Europe,  with  its  mystic 
shrines  dating  back  countless  ages,  I  could  have 
experienced  a  more  profound  sense  of  awe  than 
when  standing  in  that  absolutely  desert  spot, 
and  realizing  that  skilled  hands  had  once  erected 
there  such  a  monument. 

In  that  old  church  were  marriage  records  dat- 
ing back  hundreds  of  years ;  but  the  structure 
was  to  me  the  all  absorbing  wonder. 

The  Mexicans  living  near  worshiped  most 
devoutly  at  its  shrines ;  and  they  were  not  the 
only  frequenters  of  that  house  of  prayer,  for 
the   Spanish   priests  had  a  large  following  of 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  159 


Indians  who  had  intermarried  with  the  Span- 
iards and  settled  there. 

I  could  hardly  tear  myself  from  the  spot,  and 
returned  again  and  again  to  ascend  the  belfry 
stairs  and  wonder  and  speculate  upon  the  strange 
mystery  called  "  San  Xavier  del  Bac." 


160  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER  X. 

At  that  point  we  parted  with  our  four  guests, 
who  had  contributed,  by  their  fund  of  wit  -and 
humor,  to  render  the  journey  pleasant,  and  had 
added  much  to  our  merriment  at  meal  times. 
It  required,  however,  a  stronger  sense  of  humor 
than  I  possessed  to  be  merry  at  breakfast,  eaten 
in  semi-darkness,  after  having  been  awakened 
with  military  precision. 

It  was  certainly  not  cheerful  to  watch  the 
tent  and  its  furnishings  disappear  in  the  wagon 
while  we  sat  trying  to  imagine  ourselves  break- 
fasting, with  the  sharp  morning  air  of  February 
chilling,  or  the  March  winds  blowing  about  us. 
When  the  dreary  meal  was  over  we  scrambled 
into  our  ambulance,  and  by  the  time  a  few 
miles  had  been  passed  I  would  be  fairly  awake 
and  longing  for  lunch  time. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  l61 


The  strangest  part  of  those  travels  is  that 
children  thrive  so  well,  and  really  enjoy  every 
moment  of  the  journey,  however  monotonous. 
My  baby  could  not  walk,  and  I  was  glad  of  it ; 
for  a  more  thorny,  desolate  country  than  that 
it  has  never  been  my  lot  to  traverse.  Tlie  in- 
numerable beds  of  cacti  were  the  spots  most 
delighted  in  by  children,  and  I  rejoiced  that 
baby  had  no  cliance  of  being  lost  among  those 
dangerous  plants. 

After  leaving  Tucson,  we  passed  many  lonely 
graves  dispersed  over  the  weird  desolation  of 
that  uninhabited  space,  and  soon  learned  to  dis- 
cern where  savage  Apaches  had  moved.  With 
our  escort  of  fifty  well-mounted  men  we  had 
nothing  to  fear;  but  those  mounds  of  stones, 
appealing  in  mute  silence  to  the  passer  by, 
touched  me  deepl}^ 

On  arriving  at  the  different  stage  stations  we 
generally  rested  a  while,  and  usually  found 
there  some  poor  woman  who  was  working  day 
and  night  to  assist  her  husband,  and  with  whom 
I  always  made  it  a  custom  to  converse.     The 


162  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

comparison  of  the  lives  of  those  women  with 
mine  caused  me  to  feel  additional  sympathy  for 
them,  and  gratitude  on  my  own  account. 

Notwithstanding  our  large  escort,  it  was  ne- 
cessary to  proceed  with  great  caution,  for  one 
never  could  tell  what  might  happen  when  pass- 
ing through  the  mountainous  regions  of  South- 
ern Arizona.  Camp  Bowie,  at  which  we  re- 
mained three  days,  was  nestled  amid  high 
mountains,  and  Indians  often  appeared  on  the 
bluffs  above,  from  which  they  fired  recklessly 
and  sometimes  effectively.  A  large  guard  was 
always  detailed  to  watch  the  outposts  ;  and  yet 
so  subtle,  as  is  well  known,  are  Indians,  that 
although  close  at  hand  they  were  seldom 
caught. 

One,  evening  while  we  were  at  Camp  Bowie 
an  Indian  crept  into  the  stables,  and  while  the 
sentry  was  pacing  to  and  fro  at  the  farther  end, 
mounted  a  fine  horse  standing  near  the  entrance, 
and  with  a  yell  of  victory  horse  and  rider  dis- 
appeared. He  well  knew  that  once  mounted, 
pursuit  could  be  defied. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  163 


That  strange  little  fort  in  the  very  heart  of 
the  mountain  fastness  sheltered  a  number  of 
women  and  children.  As  usual,  we  received  a 
hearty  welcome,  and  were  feasted  and  feted  in 
true  army  fasliion.  The  post  surgeon  vacated 
his  room  in  our  honor ;  for  which  we  were  very 
grateful,  especially  when  one  of  those  terrible 
mountain  blizzards  came  on,  in  which  clouds  of 
dust  so  thick  are  formed  that  objects  cannot  be 
distinguished  at  a  distance  of  ten  feet.  The 
room  we  occupied  was  built  of  logs,  and  dust 
blew  through  the  crevices  until  it  seemed  as  if 
we  were  a  part  of  the  universal  grit.  The  tents 
were  simply  uninhabitable,  though  before  our 
destination  was  reached  we  were  compelled  to 
occupy  them  through  what  seemed  fully  as 
severe  a  storm. 

Officers  have  the  habit  of  beautifying  their 
quarters  all  circumstances  permit ;  and  our 
friend  the  doctor,  who  had  incommoded  himself 
for  us,  was  no  exception  to  the  general  rule. 
The  rough  mud  ceiling  of  his  room  had  been 
covered  with  unbleached  cotton ;    and  shelves, 


164  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

mostly  laden  with  books,  were  suspended  from 
rafters  by  means  of  the  same  material  torn  into 
strips.  One  hanging  over  the  open  fireplace 
was  crowded  with  bottles  of  all  sizes  and  de- 
scriptions, which  contained  every  form  of  ver- 
min and  reptile  life  to  be  found  in  that  region. 
In  the  eyes  of  one  unaccustomed  to  such  sights 
it  would,  indeed,  have  been  an  alarming  display. 

The  collection  embraced  centipeds,  scorpions, 
tarantulas  in  their  hideous  blackness,  and  snakes 
of  all  kinds  —  at  least  those  small  enough  to 
be  bottled.  They  were  not  elegant  mantel 
ornaments,  but  having  been  long  accustomed 
to  such  sights  I  did  not  mind  them.  It  was, 
however,  altogether  another  matter  to  be 
brought  in  actual  contact  with  the  monstrosi- 
ties, as  happened  on  the  second  night  of  the 
storm. 

We  were  thoroughly  worn  out  combating  the 
omnipresent  dust,  and  had  retired  early,  when  ' 
a  tremendous  crash  suddenly  awakened  us  from 
sound  sleep.     At  first  we  thought  the  end  of 
the  world  had  come ;  but  soon  discovered  that 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  165 


the  shelf  containing  bottled  tenants  had  fallen. 
It  was  some  time  before  a  light  could  be  pro- 
cured ;  for  matches  and  lamps,  as  well  as  clocks 
and  watches,  were  all  buried  under  the  debris. 

No  description  can  do  justice  to  the  scene. 
Everything  upon  the  shelf,  ornamental  as  well 
as  useful,  formed  a  conglomerate  mass,  over 
which  the  liberated  monstrosities  were  scattered 
in  every  direction. 

The  doctor  apologized  for  the  accident,  but 
we  were  none  the  worse,  and  it  added  one  more 
to  the  list  of  funny  experiences  that  were  often 
afterward  laughed  over. 

From  Camp  Bowie  our  road  lay  through  grand 
and  gorgeous  mountain  scenery  to  Fort  Cum- 
mings,  in  south-western  New  Mexico.  A  moun- 
tain pass  on  that  route  has  been  the  scene  of 
more  Indian  atrocities  than  any  other  spot  in 
the  entire  Apache  region.  Magnificent  Cook's 
Peak  has  looked  down  upon  more  outrages 
than  time  can  ever  efface.  The  stage  road 
wound  through  this  pass  for  years,  and  the 
number  of  times  the  Indians  have  brutally  mur- 


166  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

dered  passengers  is  countless.  Even  now  that 
a  railroad  has  superseded  the  stage,  it  is  a  place 
of  terror  to  most  travelers,  and  the  history  of 
its  bloody  battles  and  massacres  would  fill 
volumes. 

We  remained  at  Fort  Cummin gs  one  day, 
and  found  it  indeed  a  wretched  place,  devoid  of 
all  attractions  save  the  kind  friends  who  made 
us  so  welcome. 

Another  day's  march  brought  us  to  Fort 
Selden,  on  the  Rio  Grande,  from  whence  we 
caught  our  first  glimpse  of  that  strange  river. 
Rising  in  Southern  Colorado,  a  beautifully 
clear  stream,  it  flows  on  for  hundreds  and  hun- 
dreds of  miles,  changing  color  as  frequently  as 
does  the  famous  chameleon.  Now  it  is  bright 
and  sparkling,  again  dull  and  sluggish,  and  anon 
disappears  completely,  to  reappear  with  added 
volume  and  intensity.  How  many  have  been 
deceived  by  that  treacherous  river!  Trusting 
to  its  apparently  listless  course,  travelers  have 
been  suddenly  swept  away  in  a  mad,  headlong 
current,  which  absorbed  their  lives  as  the  vam- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  167 


pire  is  said  to  do  those  of  his  prey.  Ah  !  if  the 
casualties  that  have  occurred  on  the  Rio  Grande 
could  be  written,  each  of  its  victims  adding  but! 
one  line  to  the  record,  what  a  strange  and 
fearful  story  would  be  told. 

There  is  a  tradition  to  the  effect  that  any  one 
tasting  its  waters  will  be  compelled,  by  some 
strange,  subtle  charm  or  influence,  to  return, 
even  though  after  the  lapse  of  years.  Certain 
it  is  that  people  always  long  to  again  experi- 
ence its  strange  and  weird  fascination,  which 
seems  really  to  follow  them,  and  from  which 
there  is  no  respite  until  the  mighty  stream  is 
actually  revisited. 

The  Rio  Grande,  which  I  first  saw  twenty 
years  ago,  has  often  charmed  me  since.  Though 
not  often  again  in  the  same  region,  I  have  else- 
where followed  its  banks  for  miles,  and  the 
borders  of  no  other  river  it  has  ever  been  my 
fortune  to  gaze  upon,  present  so  many  varieties 
of  life.  Desolation  and  beautiful  verdure  are 
mingled;  while  its  fruitful  produce  tends  to 
make  the  country,  which  without  its  beneficent 


168  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

influence  would  indeed  be  a  desert,  a  very 
paradise. 

But  I  would  not  forestall  my  narrative  by 
saying  too  mucli  of  this  river,  to  which  I  so 
often  returned,  and  which  finally  became  like 
a  familiar  friend,  a  part  of  my  very  life  it- 
self. 

We  left  the  Rio  Grande  at  Don  Ana,  and 
struck  off  into  beautiful,  piney  Lincoln  County, 
New  Mexico,  where  we  had  a  happy  home  for 
another  year.  Before  reaching  there  we  en- 
camped for  one  night  at  White  Sands,  memor- 
able on  account  of  the  peculiarity  of  its  soil.  A 
perfectly  wonderful  mass  of  pure  white  sand, 
which  lay  in  hillocks,  extended  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach.  We  climbed  onward,  our  feet 
sinking  in  slightly,  just  enough  to  remind  us  of 
"footsteps  on  the  sands  of  time."  Those  sand 
hillocks  had  existed  from  time  immemorial,  and 
will  remain  for  ages  to  come,  I  suppose,  unless 
some  commercial  mind  shall  divine  their  value 
and  utilize  the  white  commodity,  by  converting 
it  into  a  merchantable  article.     I   am  glad  to 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  169 


have  seen   them   in   their  spotless   purity   and 
beauty. 

The  remainder  of  our  journey  to  dear  old 
Fort  Stanton  was  through  exquisite  forests  of 
mountain  pines,  and  beside  clear  streams  that 
yielded  delicious  trout. 


170  CAVLABY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER   XL 

At  Fort  Stanton  nature  was  a  constant 
source  of  joy  and  pleasure.  The  near-by 
streams  were  fairly  alive  with  delicious  fish,  so 
abundant  that  a  line  could  hardly  be  thrown 
before  one  would  bite.  Besides  fish,  we  had 
game  of  almost  every  variety,  and  fairly  lived 
on  the  "  fat  of  the  land."  New  Mexico  had 
been  called  "  The  Troopers'  Paradise,"  and  we 
found  the  name  to  be  well  merited. 

Perhaps  the  very  wildness  of  the  country  and 
abundance  of  game  provoked  a  lawless  element ; 
for  Lincoln  County,  if  a  good  one  for  natural 
supplies,  has  always  been  regarded  as  a  rallying 
point  for  desperadoes,  and  its  history  is  famous 
in  the  annals  of  crime. 

At  first  my  wonder  and  sympathies  were  ex- 
cited;  but  in   time  the  peaceful  security  one 


.CAVALRY  LIFE.  171 

always  experiences  when  surrounded  by  well- 
armed  troops  deadened  susceptibilities  to  what 
transpired  outside.  Army  officers'  wives  hear 
of  bloodshed  with  much  the  same  feeling  as  is 
experienced  by  women  living  in  cities  when 
they  learn  of  frightful  accidents  which  involve 
the  lives  of  others,  but  of  none  who  are  near 
and  dear  to  them. 

We  passed  one  happy,  peaceful  year  at  Fort 
Stanton.  The  houses,  built  of  stone,  which 
was  very  plentiful  in  that  mountainous  region, 
were  very  comfortable.  Each  had  two  rooms, 
with  a  detached  kitchen  and  dining-room  about 
fifteen  feet  in  the  rear. 

The  climate  was  perfect,  the  air  so  exquisitely 
pure  as  to  lend  a  freshness  and  charm  to  each 
day's  existence.  To  breathe  was  like  drinking 
new  wine.  I  cannot  pity  the  isolation  of 
settlers  in  those  regions,  for  the  beauty  of 
natural  scenery  displayed  on  all  sides  is  ample 
compensation,  and  to  live  is  to  enjoy.  My 
recollections  of  that  year  are  delightful. 

Several  companies  had  preceded  us,  so  I  had 


172  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

companions  of  my  own  sex.  Our  amusements 
consisted  in  part  of  driving,  and  fishing  in 
streams  where  success,  however  inferior  the 
angler's  skill,  was  certain.  Our  wildest  gayety 
was  a  card-party,  and  we  always  attended  mili- 
tary balls.  There  were  not  enough  officers' 
wives  to  have  dances  of  our  own;  but  we 
always  opened  those  of  the  soldiers',  and 
thoroughly  appreciated  their  enjoyment. 

Some  of  those  affairs  would  have  presented  a 
strange  picture  to  people  in  the  East;  but  the 
very  absurdity  and  variety  of  the  costumes  and 
conduct  of  frontiersmen  and  their  wives,  who 
were  always  invited,  only  added  zest  to  our 
enjoyment,  and  the  recollections  amused  us  for 
days. 

One  evening  so  fierce  a  storm  raged  that  we 
hardly  dared  cross  the  parade  ground ;  yet  our 
desire  to  go  was  sufficient  to  induce  the  at- 
tempt. We  were  fairly  blown  into  the  room, 
and  to  our  surprise  found  it  filled  with  the 
usual  throng.  How  in  the  world  they  had 
all  reached  the  place  through  such  a  severe 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  173 

storm  puzzled  us  greatly,  but  there  they 
were. 

It  was  a  curious  sight,  and  a  still  more  curi- 
ous sound,  that  all  those  people  produced.  The 
strains  of  music,  the  stamping  of  many  feet, 
and  the  wild  howling  of  the  wind,  all  combined 
to  greatly  stimulate  our  nerves.  The  excite- 
ment was  still  further  increased  when  suddenly 
a  loud  crash  was  heard ;  every  one  rushed  out 
in  alarm  to  discover  that  a  huge  flagstaff, 
which  it  had  taken  months  to  make  and  erect, 
had  fallen  and  been  splintered  into  a  thousand 
fragments.  The  staff  had  not  been  properly 
secured  by  stanchions. 

The  occurrence  was  regretted,  not  only  be- 
cause the  making  and  erecting  had  consumed 
much  time,  but  also  because  it  had  been  diffi- 
cult to  find  a  suitable  tree  tall  enough  for  the 
purpose.  Thus  our  towering  flagstaff,  which 
had  taken  many  years  to  grow  and  several 
months  to  fashion,  had  been  laid  low  in  a  less 
number  of  seconds. 

Soon  after  I  experienced  another  fright,  quite 


174  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

different  in  its  nature  from  the  one  just  related. 
I  now  firmly  believe  an  army  garrison  to  be  the 
most  secure  place  on  earth,  and  in  later  years 
almost  forgot  the  use  of  keys;  but  in  those 
earlier  days  I  was  always  on  the  alert. 

One  night  when  Mr.  Boyd  was  away  I  placed 
a  student  lamp  at  the  foot  of  our  bed,  and  after 
looking  under  it  in  the  usual  approved  woman 
fashion,  lay  down  to  rest.  My  nervous  fears 
had  only  just  passed  away,  permitting  me  to 
fall  into  a  light  slumber,  when  I  found  myself 
suddenly  sitting  up  gazing  at  the  form  of  a 
man  entering  the  door.  My  heart  seemed  to 
stop  beating,  yet  fortunately  I  had  the  courage 
to  exclaim: 

"What  are  you  doing  here?  Leave  the 
room !  " 

The  man  promptly  obeyed.  I  sprang  up, 
locked  the  door,  and  called  the  servants.  When 
I  found  that  my  nurse,  who  slept  in  the  next 
room,  had  disappeared,  and  that  cook,  on  ac- 
count of  the  distance  between  the  house  and 
kitchen,  could  not  hear  me,  I  felt  as  if  a  plan 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  175 

was  on  foot  to  murder  me,  and  endured  a  half- 
hour  of  absolute  agony,  such  as  I  hope  it  will 
never  again  be  my  lot  to  experience. 

At  last  the  nurse  appeared,  and  I  went  once 
more  to  rest ;  but  so  vivid  were  my  impressions 
of  the  man  that  I  picked  him  out  next  day 
from  among  a  hundred;  and  then  begged,  on 
learning  that  he  had  been  wandering  around 
intoxicated,  and  merely  entered  the  first  door 
which  responded  to  his  touch,  that  no  punish- 
ment be  inflicted. 

Beautiful  Fort  Stanton  was  not  only  perfect 
in  natural  scenery  and  surroundings,  but  had 
been  improved  by  excellent  methods.  Various 
officers  had  from  time  to  time  planted  trees 
around  the  parade  ground;  and  to  facilitate 
their  growth  an  acequia^  as  it  was  called  in 
Spanish,  or  ditch,  had  been  dug,  and  the  water, 
constantly  running  through  it,  kept  the  roots 
of  the  trees  always  moist,  so  they  grew  rapidly 
and  formed  a  delightful  shade  in  front  of  our 
quarters. 

We  became  so   fond   of   our   home   in  that 


176  CAVALBY  LIFE. 

charming  spot  that  everything  else  contented 
us.  The  mail  came,  as  before,  but  once  a  week, 
and  its  arrival  made  that  day  a  red-letter  one 
in  our  quiet  lives.  It  was  always  devoted  to 
eager  anticipations  and  close  watching  of  the 
long  line  of  road  over  which  the  mail  rider 
came.  If  over  due,  nothing  else  could  be 
thought  or  talked  of  until  he  arrived,  and  we 
received  our  news  from  beyond  the  border. 
Even  baby  learned  to  look  for  letters,  and  to 
expect  some  token  of  love  from  absent  friends. 
She  would  forsake  her  favorite  playground  near 
the  muddy  acequia  to  join  the  anxious  group 
of  watchers. 

Every  one  has  heard  the  story  of  the  baby 
who  was  taken  by  her  mother  to  some  perform- 
ance in  San  Francisco  in  the  early  days,  when 
women  were  scarce  and  babies  so  rare  as  almost 
to  be  wonders ;  and  how,  when  the  little  one 
cried  and  refused  to  be  pacified,  an  old  miner 
arose  and  requested  that  the  play  should  cease 
so  they  might  hear  the  baby  cry.  His  request 
was  applauded  on  all  sides,  and  a  hat  passed 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  177 

round  for  the  baby,  who  had  reminded  those 
rough  men  of  a  home  life  almost  forgotten  in 
their  pioneer  surroundings. 

My  baby  was  not  only  of  the  greatest  impor- 
tance to  me,  but  if  I  noticed  any  sign  of  the 
devotion  she  was  expected  to  receive  from  other 
sources  flagging,  my  displeasure  was  quickly 
expressed.  I  have  since  been  told  that  the 
officers,  after  reporting  for  duty  to  their  com- 
mander, would  say : 

"  Now  we  must  go  see  baby,  and  report  her 
condition." 

Consequently  she  received  as  much  notice  as 
if  it  had  been  her  divine  right.  The  little  one 
could  talk  plainly  by  the  time  she  was  fifteen 
months  old,  and  amused  us  all  greatly. 

In  looking  back  upon  those  happy  days  I 
often  wonder  how  I  could  voluntarily  have  left 
so  dear  a  home.  But  after  residing  there  a 
year  I  decided  to  visit  friends  in  New  York, 
so  bade  farewell  to  beautiful  Fort  Stanton,  not 
knowing  I  never  should  again  see  it. 


178  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

We  left  Fort  Stanton  in  March,  prepared  for 
a  seemingly  almost  interminable  journey  before 
reaching  the  railroad  at  Denver,  five  hundred 
miles  distant.  Expecting  to  find  houses  in 
which  to  pass  the  nights,  we  took  no  tent,  and 
besides  my  trunk  very  little  baggage.  It  was 
entirely  too  early  in  the  season  for  traveling 
to  be  really  comfortable,  as  in  that  exquisite 
mountain  air  mornings  and  evenings  are  very 
cold. 

The  country  between  Forts  Stanton  and 
Union  was  simply  superb  in  its  wild  grandeur 
and  beauty.  Only  the  pen  of  an  artist  could 
have  done  justice  to  its  many  charms.  We 
stopped  every  night  with  Mexican  families, 
who  in  their  simple  kindness  were  most  truly 
hospitable.     They  made   us  welcome,  and  yet 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  179 

exacted  no  reward  for  the  time  and  attention 
bestowed.  I  always  required  those  hours  for 
rest  and  looking  after  baby,  who  with  the 
happy  unconcern  of  childhood  had  a  way  of 
wandering  in  paths  unsuited  to  such  tender 
feet. 

In  all  those  rough  travels  I  never  met  with 
anything  else  which  gave  me  so  much  trouble 
as  the  cactus  plant.  Wherever  we  went,  and 
whatever  else  we  missed,  that  was  always 
present  in  some  shape  or  form.  In  regions 
where  nothing  else  could  be  prevailed  upon  to 
grow,  that  useful  but  disagreeable  plant  always 
throve ;  and  the  more  dreary,  parched,  and  bar- 
ren the  soil,  the  more  surely  did  the  cactus 
flourish  and  expand  its  bayonet-armed  leaves. 

If  very  young  children  were  allowed  to  wan- 
der in  the  least,  one  could  safely  depend  upon 
finding  them  in  the  vicinity  of  the  danger- 
ous cacti.  During  that  journey  our  little  one 
tripped  and  fell  directly  upon  a  large  plants 
which,  it  seemed  to  me,  had  more  than  the 
usual  complement  of  thorns,  for  her  little  knees 


180  CAVALBY  LIFE. 

were  fairly  filled  with  them,  and  days  passed 
before  all  were  picked  out. 

Cacti  are  the  main  feature  of  Western  plant 
life.  Sometimes  with  fluted  columns,  as  in 
Arizona,  they  rear  their  heads  aloft  in  stately 
grandeur.  Again  they  are  found  in  some  one 
of  the  numerous  less  inspiring  shapes  and  forms 
the  plant  assumes  in  different  parts  of  the 
West.  There  must  be  at  least  fifty  varieties. 
All  are  supplied  with  that  chief  characteristic 
—  sharp-pointed  prickers  —  which  remind  the 
unwary  of  their  presence  and  power. 

It  takes  a  great  deal  of  frontier  experience  to 
deal  correctly  with  cacti.  They  have  many  and 
valuable  properties  which  the  early  settlers  long 
since  discovered.  The  most  common  variety  is 
the  low,  flat-land  species  which  requires  no 
seeking.  In  the  far  West  it  flaunts  itself  by  all 
roadsides  and  everywhere  dots  the  prairies.  It 
is  very  nutritive,  and  utilized  by  natives  as  food 
for  cattle;  they  first  burn  away  the  prickles 
with  which  it  has  been  so  bountifully  supplied 
by  nature.     Even  in  that  land  of  seeming  bar- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  181 

renness  for  man  and  beast,  much  can  be  found 
to  support  life.  The  cactus  supplies  an  intoxi- 
cating liquor  called  mescal;  and  one  variety 
bears  a  fruit  which  tastes  somewhat  like  the 
strawberry,  and  is  much  sought  after  by  Mexi- 
cans. 

The  only  time  when  cacti  are  really  pretty 
is  in  early  spring,  when  they  bloom.  Then  the 
bright-hued  flowers  dot  the  country  with  color, 
and  relieve  the  eye  from  the  monotonous  gray 
hue  which  pervades  all  nature  in  a  region  where 
rains  are  so  periodical  as  to  prevent  the  vernal 
freshness  of  the  East. 

There  is  a  rare  and  nameless  charm  in  the 
contemplation  of  those  extended  prairies,  with 
their  soft  gray  tints,  dreary  to  Eastern  people, 
but  so  dearly  loved  by  those  who  become  im- 
bued with  the  deep  sentiment  their  vast  expanse 
inspires. 

I  shall  never  become  reconciled  to  localities 
where  the  eye  cannot  look  for  miles  and  miles 
beyond  the  spot  where  one  stands,  and  where 
the  density  of  the  atmosphere  circumscribes  the 


182  CAVALEY  LIFE. 

view,  limiting  it  to  a  comparatively  short  dis- 
tance. I  have  traveled  in  New  Mexico  and 
Arizona  for  days,  when  on  starting  early  in  the 
morning  the  objective  point  of  my  journey,  and 
an  endless  stretch  of  road,  perhaps  for  a  hun- 
dred miles,  could  be  seen. 

To  mount  a  horse,  such  as  can  be  found  only 
in  the  West,  perfect  for  the  purpose,  and  gallop 
over  prairies,  completely  losing  one's  self  in 
vast  and  illimitable  space,  as  silent  as  lonely,  is 
to  leave  every  petty  care,  and  feel  the  contented 
frame  of  mind  which  can  only  be  produced  by 
such  surroundings.  In  those  grand  wastes  one 
is  truly  alone  with  God.  Oh,  I  love  the  West, 
and  dislike  to  think  that  the  day  will  surely 
come  when  it  will  teem  with  human  life  and 
all  its  warring  elements  ! 

On  that  journey  East  from  my  dear  Western 
home  everything  seemed  new.  After  traveling 
for  days,  Fort  Union  was  reached,  where  we  re- 
mained a  while,  and  then  went  North,  passing 
through  beautiful  Colorado,  stopping  at  Trin- 
idad, Pueblo,  and  finally,  after  seventeen  days 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  183 

of  ambulance  travel,  reaching  Denver.  It  was 
more  like  a  panoramic  journey  than  a  real  one ; 
for  we  kept  continually  advancing  toward  a 
higher  and  higher  degree  of  civilization,  till  its 
apex — New  York  —  was  reached. 

All  those  strange,  crude,  and  uncivilized 
Western  villages  have  since  become  thriving 
railroad  towns.  Denver,  with  its  perfect  en- 
vironment of  exquisite  mountain  scenery,  will 
always  remain  in  my  mind  a  picture  of  beauty. 

Mr.  Boyd  was  to  leave  me  at  Denver,  and 
return  to  Fort  Stanton;  but  we  first  spent 
a  delightful  week  there.  My  brother  met  and 
introduced  us  to  some  pleasant  people.  There 
was  a  fine  company  at  the  principal  theatre, 
which  we  attended  nightly,  and  I  shed  tears 
over  dear  old  Rip  Van  Winkle,  who,  though 
not  personated  by  Jefferson,  was  sufficiently 
well  portrayed  to  merit  and  receive  great 
applause.  The  absolute  freshness  of  feeling 
one  experiences  after  years  of  absence  from 
such  scenes  is  sufficiently  delightful  to  make 
the  jaded  theater-goer  envious. 


184  CAVALRY  LIFii. 

I  was  exceedingly  proud  of  my  introduction 
to  that  estimable  couple,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKee 
Rankin,  the  "  stars  "  in  that  theatrical  combina- 
tion ;  and  we  were  honored  by  an  invitation  to 
dine  with  them,  which  was  accepted.  We  had 
the  pleasantest  imaginable  time. 

My  brother  had  been  living  in  Cheyenne  for 
some  time,  and,  in  his  great  desire  to  again  wit- 
ness a  fine  theatrical  performance,  had,  with  a 
friend,  assumed  the  entire  responsibility  of  the 
troupe's  success.  A  week  had  been  spent  in 
enlisting  every  one's  interest;  and  although  he 
guaranteed  expenses  in  any  event,  yet  when 
the  important  night  arrived  there  was  a  full 
house,  and  one  of  the  most  picturesque  audi- 
ences ever  collected.  Every  miner,  ranchman, 
gambler,  and  the  whole  military  garrison  at 
Cheyenne,  were  not  only  there,  but  applauded 
everything  as  a  Western  audience  alone  can  — 
in  a  manner  that  made  the  very  building  tremble. 

Such  an  audience  is  a  sight  which  once  seen 
is  not  easily  forgotten.  Similar  heterogeneous 
elements  never  enter  into  the  lives  of  the  people 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  185 

at  the  East,  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  de- 
scribe such  a  gathering.  Imagine  a  peculiarly 
picturesque  and  large  audience,  composed  of 
every  imaginable  species  of  the  human  race,  each 
so  intent  upon  the  performance  that  actual  sur- 
roundings are  entirely  ignored. 

In  those  early  days  of  which  I  am  ^vriting,  the 
population  of  Denver  was  much  more  composite 
than  it  is  at  the  present  time ;  and  the  experi- 
enced eye  could  readily  distinguish  men  and 
women  of  every  nationality,  and  from  every  sta- 
tion in  life,  from  the  cowboy  to  the  millionaire. 
Beautiful  Denver !  my  heart  turns  longingly  to 
its  perfect  climate ;  and  the  desire  to  once  again 
inhale  that  sweet,  pure  air,  and  catch  a  glimpse 
of  its  glorious  mountain  scener)^,  cannot  be  over- 
come. 

We  left  that  lovely  town  after  a  week's 
delightful  stay,  and  for  two  days  and  nights 
rolled  over  the  prairies  in  cars,  watching  the 
endless  stretch  of  level  and  monotonous  plains, 
relieved  here  and  there  by  herds  of  buffaloes, 
which  sometimes  approached  so  near  as  to  be 


186  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

shot  at  from  the  tram.  It  reminded  me  of  the 
excitement  created  when  whales  are  encountered 
on  a  sea  voyage,  because  the  passengers,  after 
once  having  seen  them,  were  constantly  on  the 
lookout  for  more,  and  the  state  of  expectancy 
rendered  their  journey  less  tedious.  These 
herds  of  buffaloes  have  long  since  disappeared 
from  the  Kansas  plains,  and  their  very  memory 
will  soon  become  a  recollection  of  the  past. 

As  we  rolled  into  dingy  St.  Louis,  where 
brother  left  me,  my  heart  sank  at  the  prospect 
of  again  breathing  air  too  heavy  and  dense  to 
be  anything  but  suffocating.  The  next  morn- 
ing found  me  in  Chicago,  where  I  was  to  be 
met  by  another  brother.  Our  little  daughter 
was  so  accustomed  to  being  on  friendly  terms 
with  every  one,  that  she  used  to  go  from  one 
end  of  the  car  to  the  other,  chatting  and 
enjoying  every  moment  of  her  trip.  To  ride 
in  cars,  after  lurching  about  in  all  sorts  of  un- 
comfortable conveyances  over  rough  mountains 
and  plains,  was  like  gently  gliding;  and  but 
for  the  heavy  atmosphere  and  coal  dust,  it 
seemed  as  if  I  should  never  tire. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  187 

A  very  enjoyable  day  was  passed  in  Chicago. 
My  brother  pointed  out,  with  evident  pride,  the 
splendid  public  buildings,  which  but  a  few 
months  later  were  devastated  by  the  fire  fiend, 
only  to  rise,  phoenix-like,  from  their  ruins  in 
greater  beauty  and  splendor. 

I  have  the  most  profound  admiration  both 
for  Chicago  and  the  spirit  of  enterprise  shown 
by  its  inhabitants  ;  and  when  I  saw  it  again 
after  the  calamity,  I  bowed  in  reverence  to  a 
community  that  could  evolve  so  much  architec- 
tural beauty  and  elegance,  to  say  nothing  of 
comfort,  from  so  disastrous  a  misfortune  as  that 
terrible  fire. 

Twenty  hours  after  leaving  Chicago  found 
me  in  New  York.  I  had  looked  forward  with 
intense  longing  to  that  moment,  supposing  in- 
effable happiness  would  be  my  portion  when 
again  there ;  but  standing  in  front  of  the  Fifth 
Avenue  hotel,  a  landmark  more  familiar  to  me 
than  any  other  iii  the  city,  my  disappointment 
and  heart  sickness  were  severe. 

I  had  seen  the  hotel  rise  from  nothing ;  had 


188  CAVALBY  life: 

always  lived  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  daily 
passed  it  going  to  and  from  school ;  and  when 
homesick  during  my  army  life  the  mere  thought 
of  that  hotel  would  awaken  the  happiest  feel- 
ings ;  but  when  the  desire  to  again  see  it  had 
been  attained  my  heart  sank  with  a  bitter  feel- 
ing of  loneliness. 

No  longing  has  ever  equaled  in  intensity  the 
one  which  then  took  possession  of  me  —  to  be 
back  again  in  my  dear  Western  home,  sur- 
rounded by  all  the  lonely  grandeur  of  its  lovely 
scenery.  Though  I  remained  East  an  entire 
year,  it  was  only  because  obliged  to,  and  during 
all  those  months  I  never  ceased  to  sigh  for  the 
day  of  my  return. 

I  had  many  joyful  reunions  with  kind  rela- 
tives and  dear  friends,  much  to  make  life  bright 
and  cheerful ;  but  I  raved  about  the  delights  of 
the  West  until  friends  thought  me  nearly  crazy 
on  the  subject.  Besides  missing  my  own  home, 
as  do  all  married  women,  in  spite  of  the  un- 
bounded hospitality  of  friends,  I  missed  the 
quiet  and  freedom  from  that  mad  rush  Avhich 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  189 

i^eems  an  inevitable  part  of  life  in  a  great  city. 
I  was  also  in  the  hands  of  physicians,  which 
was  depressing.  The  hardships  of  frontier  life, 
at  times  when  I  was  entirely  unfitted  for  travel, 
had  told  their  tale,  and  compelled  my  return 
East  in  order  that  my  shattered  health  might 
be  regained. 

Three  months  were  spent  in  New  York,  and 
then,  with  the  approach  of  warm  weather,  I 
wended  my  way  to  the  mountains.  Although 
they  seemed  insipid  after  the  rocky  grandeur  of 
the  West,  I  preferred  them,  such  as  they  were, 
to  the  city  with  its  endless  streets  and  turmoil, 
where  tall  chimney  tops  prevented  my  obtain- 
ing a  glimpse  of  the  blue  sky  I  had  seen  so 
freely  and  loved  so  well. 


190  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

I  DOUBT  if  any  but  those  who  have  lived 
among  the  prairies  or  mountains  of  the  far 
West  can  realize  how  keenly  is  felt  the  loss  of 
that  endless  environment  which  becomes  a  part 
of  life  itself,  and  which  is  missed  when  de- 
prived of,  especially  at  first,  almost  like  one's 
daily  bread. 

From  the  city  I  went  to  my  husband's  home 
in  New  York  State,  on  a  spur  of  the  Catskill 
Mountains,  where  I  seemed  to  breathe  more 
freely,  and  was  enchanted  during  those  long 
summer  months  by  the  exquisite  green  of  grass, 
trees,  and  landscape  —  in  a  word,  by  every  thing 
that  refreshed  the  eye  after  such  a  long  period 
of  gray  hues,  and  which  certainly  my  beloved 
West  lacked. 

I  was  enthusiastic  over  the  fresh  verdure  of 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  191 

our  beautiful  mountain  home,  just  as  I  had 
been  over  the  gray  loveliness  of  the  West.  It 
was,  no  doubt,  the  marked  contrast  vi^hich  glad- 
dened my  eyes.  Not  a  moment  was  spent 
in-doors  if  it  could  be  avoided*;  and  when  com- 
pelled to  do  so,  I  placed  myself  where  a  per- 
petual feast  to  the  eyes  was  in  full  view. 

One  covild  dwell  perpetually  amid  recollec- 
tions of  the  past;  so  I  will  hasten  over  that 
quiet,  restful  summer  to  the  succeeding  fall, 
when  my  husband  arrived  on  his  first  leave*  of 
absence.  Needless  to  say  the  young  soldier 
was  greeted  by  his  family  with  the  welcome 
befitting  one,  who,  having  spent  three  years  in 
distant  service,  returned  to  his  home  with  un- 
alloyed pleasure,  and  reviewed  with  renewed 
delight  the  early  surroundings  and  memories  of 
his  youth. 

During  the  month  following  Mr.  Boyd's  ar- 
rival our  first  boy  was  born,  and  no  prince  could 
ever  have  been  received  with  more  sincere  de- 
light. Parents  and  grandparents  were  unani- 
mous in  considering  him  wonderful,  and  indeed 


192  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

he  was  a  splendid  baby!  My  husband  cele- 
brated his  advent  as  we  would  have  done  on  the 
frontier,  with  much  rejoicing;  but  the  Puritan 
grandparents  seriously  objected  to  conviviality 
of  any  kind,  and  seized  the  occasion  to  obtain 
their  son's  promise  to  abstain  in  future  from  in- 
toxicating liquors  of  every  description.  To 
gratify  his  dear  father  Mr.  Boyd  agreed,  al- 
though there  was  no  necessity  for  such  a  pledge, 
as  he  had  always  been  most  temperate.  Our 
son  was  ten  years  of  age  before  Captain  Boyd 
again  tasted  liquor,  and  then  it  was  by  the  doc- 
tor's express  order. 

When  our  baby  boy  was  three  months  old  his 
father  began  to  think  the  country  a  cold  place 
for  us,  and  to  debate  the  desirability  of  a  return 
to  New  York,  especially  as  he  felt  we  were  en- 
titled, after  our  long  sojourn  on  the  frontier,  to 
some  of  the  pleasures  of  Eastern  life.  One  en- 
tire morning  was  spent  in  discussing  the  matter. 
The  conclusion  arrived  at  was,  that  even  if  we 
remained  with  relatives  the  amount  of  my  hus- 
band's pay  would  in  no  wise  suffice  for  the  or- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  193 

dinary  expenses  of  life  in  New  York.  In  order 
to  have  any  leisure  I  should  require  a  nurse  for 
our  two  little  children,  and  the  half-pay  received 
was  only  sixty-five  dollars  a  month. 

In  relating  these  experiences  of  army  life,  I 
wish  it  distinctly  understood  tliat  I  am  not  ex- 
aggerating— simply  stating  facts.  A  cavalry 
officer  was  deprived  of  almost  every  opportunity 
of  visiting  home  and  relatives  in  the  East,  and 
when  permitted  to  do  so  on  leave  was  compelled 
to  plunge  in  debt,  which  involved  him  for  years 
afterward  in  difficulties;  so,  great  as  was  the 
pleasure,  and  most  innocent  and  natural,  we 
considered  it  too  dearly  bought  ever  to  be  re- 
peated, and  therefore  did  not  again  come  East 
until  compelled  to  do  so  on  account  of  our  chil- 
dren's education. 

My  husband  had  journeyed  from  Fort  Stanton 
to  New  York  at  frightful  expense,  traveling  by 
stage  to  Denver,  which,  as  my  previous  experi- 
ence has  shown,  was  the  most  costly  mode  of 
transit.  An  officer  has  not  only  to  make  all 
trips  when  on  leave  at  his  own  expense,  but  in 


194  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

those  days  the  pay  was  reduced  to  half  its  full 
amount;  and  as  a  lieutenant  was  then  allowed 
only  one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars,  Mr.  Boyd 
received  but  sixty-five  dollars  a  month.  Such 
reduction  seems  to  me  most  unjust,  for  surely 
no  one  can  be  expected  to  spend  a  lifetime 
away  from  all  early  associations,  or  pay  so  dearly 
for  the  natural  desire  to  occasionally  see  parents 
and  friends. 

We  were  indeed  happy  with  the  pleasure  of 
again  visiting  our  relatives ;  but  when  the  long, 
long  return  journey  from  New  York  to  New 
Mexico  had  to  be  undertaken,  and  we  found 
that  with  the  utmost  economy  it  would  cost 
seven  hundred  dollars,  which,  with  the  limited 
supply  of  household  necessaries  absolutely  re- 
quired, and  the  expenses  of  Mr.  Boyd's  journey 
East  added,  aggregated  upwards  of  thirteen 
hundred  dollars,  it  was  anything  but  a  pleas- 
ant outlook  for  the  future.  We  were  in  debt  to 
that  amount,  and  must  provide  for  its  payment. 

Can  any  one  wonder  either  at  our  dismay,  or 
the  resolve  never  again  to  think  of  leave  of  ab- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  195 

sence?  For  economy  we  had  actually  buried 
ourselves  in  the  mountains  during  the  entire 
winter;  and  although  that  was  no  great  hard- 
ship, yet  it  would  have  been  very  pleasant  to 
have  enjoyed  New  York  during  the  season,  es- 
pecially as  I  never  expected  to  come  East  again. 

We  realized  the  stern  fact  that  with  an  in- 
come of  only  sixty-five  dollars  a  month,  four 
people  should  be  thankful  to  have  the  bare  neces- 
saries of  life,  without  expecting  luxuries;  but 
it  did  seem  rather  hard  to  return  without  seeing 
more  of  the  city  than  a  fleeting  glimpse  obtained 
in  passing,  and — because  we  were  poor. 

While  in  New  York  one  of  my  cousins  found 
a  servant  willing  to  return  West  with  us,  which 
seemed  desirable,  as  a  nurse  would  be  needed 
on  that  long  journey,  and  the  amount  of  her 
traveling  expenses  would  be  saved  in  the  wages 
to  be  paid  —  those  current  in  New  York  instead 
of  the  double  rate  demanded  on  the  frontier. 

We  congratulated  ourselves  on  the  servant*s 
appearance,  which  was  so  far  from  pleasing  it 
seemed  safe  to  take  her.     Had  it  been  otherwise 


196  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

she  would,  we  were  sure,  soon  desert  us  for 
matrimony.  The  girl  was  almost  a  grenadier 
in  looks  and  manners;  and  although  not  abso- 
lutely hideous,  was  so  far  from  pleasing  that  we 
were  confident  of  retaining  her  services,  so  made 
a  contract  for  one  year. 

Our  Western  journey  was  uneventful  in  com- 
parison with  others  that  had  preceded  it.  It 
seemed  a  slight  undertaking  to  travel  with  our 
two  little  children,  who  were  so  good  and 
healthy,  and  I  had  the  assistance  both  of  my 
husband  and  the  nurse.  Besides,  the  joy  ex- 
perienced at  being  fairly  en  route  for  our  own 
home  made  me  feel  like  a  caged  bird  let 
loose. 

After  four  days  and  nights  of  travel  from 
the  East  into  the  West,  we  reached  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming  Territory,  where  the  children,  nurse, 
and  I  were  to  remain  with  my  brother,  while 
Mr.  Boyd  went  to  New  Mexico  by  stage,  and  1 
returned  with  an  ambulance  for  our  long 
journey. 

My  heart  swells  when  I  think  of  those  per- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  197 

feet  days !  It  was  in  the  month  of  May,  and 
Ave  either  camped  out  every  night,  or  slept  in 
some  ranch.  Each  moment  was  fraught  with 
pleasure.  Every  whiff  of  mountain  air  was  in- 
haled with  delight,  for,  like  a  Mohammedan,  my 
face  was  turned  toward  Mecca.  I  so  rejoiced 
that  our  nurse,  who  was  undergoing  the  same 
disagreeable  sensations  I  had  experienced  at  the 
outset  of  my  army  life  in  the  strange  surround- 
ings, was  so  overpowered  she  dared  not  express 
her  dissatisfaction. 

On  arriving  at  Trinidad,  a  halt  was  made, 
for  I  had  forgotten  to  check  our  trunks  from 
Denver  to  Kit  Carson,  so  they  did  not  follow. 
We  awaited  them  there  for  a  while,  but  finally 
decided  to  go  on.  When  the  trunks  eventually 
reached  us,  we  discovered  that  they  had  been 
left  standing  somewhere  in  the  rain  until  their 
contents  w^ere  saturated  with  water  and  had 
mildewed. 

I  felt  badly  enough  over  my  own  trunk ;  but 
the  nurse  wept,  "refusing  to  be  comforted,"  for 
all   her   finery  was   ruined.      My  own  regrets 


198  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

were  silenced  in  listening  to  her  lamentations, 
especially  as  I  was  entirely  to  blame. 

We  did  not  return  to  Fort  Stanton,  Mr.  Boyd's 
company  having  been  ordered  to  Fort  Union  ;  so 
the  journey,  which  I  regarded  in  the  light  of  a 
picnic,  from  the  railroad  to  our  home,  required 
only  twelve  days.  It  was  delightful  in  every 
respect,  or  would  have  been  but  for  the  sour 
face  of  our  nurse,  "  who  mourned,  and  mourned, 
and  mourned." 

When  we  reached  Fort  Union,  and  I  asked  if 
it  would  not  be  a  pleasant  home  for  us,  she 
looked  out  on  the  wide  and  desolate  plain  that 
faced  the  fort,  and  with  a  weary  sigh,  said  she 
"  preferred  New  York." 

Having  known  the  pangs  of  homesickness,  I 
sympathized  with  her  deeply ;  but  she  kept  up 
so  continuously  her  wail  of  despair  over  the  dis- 
comforts of  our  life  generally,  and  it  became 
so  tiresome,  that  when,  five  months  afterward, 
she  married  a  soldier,  I  was  rather  glad  than 
otherwise,  and  returned  with  a  sense  of  relief 
to  the  faithful  men  for  service. 


CA  VALR  Y  LIFE.  199 


We  had  soon  discovered  the  fallacy  of  our  be- 
lief that  her  plainness  would  prevent  the  possi- 
bility of  a  lover.  Women  were  so  scarce,  and 
men  so  plenty,  that  no  matter  how  old  or  ugly, 
a  woman  was  not  neglected,  and  our  unprepos- 
sessing nurse  had  scores  of  suitors  for  her  hand. 
She  had  not  been  in  the  fort  three  days  before 
the  man  who  laid  our  carpets  proposed  to  her. 
It  required  but  little  time  in  which  to  become 
aware  of  her  own  value,  and  on  learning 
that  he  was  intemperate  she  quickly  discarded 
him. 

The  one  whom  she  finally  married  was  brave 
in  every  sense  of  the  word.  Trusting  to  the 
old  adage,  "Faint  heart  ne'er  won  fair  ladie," 
that  man  engaged  a  carriage  at  Las  Vegas  for 
the  wedding-trip  before  ever  having  seen  her. 
He  was  a  soldier  belonging  at  Fort  Union,  who 
had  been  away  on  distant  service  for  months, 
and,  hearing  that  we  had  a  girl  from  the  East 
with  us,  made  the  necessary  preparations  for 
their  marriage  while  en  route  to  the  post.  His 
pluck  must  have  pleased   her,  for  three   days 


200  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

after  his  return  she  accompanied  him  to  Las 
Vegas,  where  they  were  united  for  life. 

She  had  made  my  life  harder  in  every  way, 
and  taught  us  the  folly  of  taking  a  servant 
accustomed  to  Eastern  civilization  into  the 
Western  wilds.  Not  only  had  she  scorned  all 
our  belongings  and  surroundings,  but  absolutely 
wearied  me  with  incessant  complaints  over  the 
absence  of  modern  conveniences,  which  was 
absurd ;  for  the  climate  was  so  exquisite,  and 
the  houses  so  compact,  there  was  really  no 
necessity  for  such  fretfulness.  We  had  clean, 
sweet,  fresh  quarters,  which  to  me  seemed  per- 
fect. 

So  greatly,  however,  had  the  girl  deplored  the 
situation,  that  I  wondered  she  thought  to  better 
her  condition  by  marrying  a  soldier,  who  can 
often  give  his  wife  no  shelter  whatever;  in 
fact,  unless  permitted  to  marry  by  the  consent 
of  his  officers,  she  is  not  allowed  to  live  in  the 
garrison. 

That  was  a  hard  summer  in  spite  of  my  joy 
at  our  return.     Mr.  Boyd  had  been  ordered  to 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  201 


join  his  troop  in  the  field  immediately  after  our 
arrival.  I  had  a  dear  little  house,  and  with 
new  carpets  and  curtains,  and  the  absolute 
freshness  of  all,  would  have  been  happy  enough 
but  for  the  load   of  debt  that  was  constantly 

.  worrying  me,  and  the  discontent  of  our  servant, 
which  made  her  incapable  to  such  a  degree  that 
I  had  to  work  so  hard  the  iSesh  and  strength 
gained   by   my  pleasant   Eastern  visit  greatly 

..decreased.  Before  the  summer  was  over  I  had 
lost  twenty -five  pounds. 

Our  dear  captain  had  taken  unto  himself  a 
bride,  and  in  accordance  with  the  usual  army 
experience  had  been  ordered  away  immediately 
on  reaching  the  post,  where  he  had  hoped  to 
enjoy  his"  wife's  society  at  least  for  a  while. 
But  the  fortunes  of  war  are  ever  the  same,  and 

j  our  garrison  was  denuded  of  cavalry,  which  pur- 
sued Indians  all  summer.  The  officers  always 
had  so  many  comical  stories  to  tell  on  their 
return,  that  even  the  bride  failed  to  realize  her 
husband's  danger,  and  joined  in  the  general 
laugh  over  those  recitals. 


202  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

One  night  the  Indians  actually  invaded  camp, 
and  the  officers  were  obliged  to  fight  in  their 
night  clothes,  having  no  time  even  to  slip  on 
shoes,  but  rushed  immediately  into  the  inclosure,  ( 
that  when  camping  was  always  formed  by  the 
wagons,  and  within  which  the  animals  were  led. 
Having  succeeded  in  driving  off  the  Indians 
they  laughed  immoderately  at  each  other,  and 
considered  the  whole  affair  a  great  joke.  The 
colonel  was  unusually  tall,  the  quartermaster 
short  and  very  stout,  and  each  must  have  pre- 
sented a  comical  appearance,  fighting  for  dear 
life  in  such  attire. 

When  absent  on  those  expeditions  the  troop 
usually  encamped  on  the  banks  of  some  stream. 
On  one  occasion  the  river  by  which  they  had 
camped  rose  —  agreeably  to  the  frequent  custom 
of  Western  rivers — and  carried  away  every- 
thing on  its  banks.  When  it  fell  their  huge 
blacksmith's  forge  was  found  imbedded  in  the 
opposite  shore,  an  eighth  of  a  mile  lower  down. 

The  rainy  season  in  those  south-western  coun- 
tries is  mostly  confined  to  a  few  months,  either 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  203 

in  early  spring  or  midsummer ;  and  as  no  warn- 
ing precedes  its  coming,  sad  accidents  not  infre- 
quently occur.  Sometimes  in  the  course  of  a 
few  hours  a  tiny  little  stream  grows  into  an 
angry,  surging  torrent,  so  great  is  the  downpour 
even  in  that  short  time.  One  dear  woman,  an 
officer's  wife,  who  was  camped  with  her  husband 
on  the  banks  of  a  river  apparently  in  full  secu- 
rity, lost  her  life  from  that  cause. 

A  storm  arose  so  suddenly,  that,  seeing  their 
camp  would  soon  be  under  water,  she  took  shel- 
ter in  an  ambulance,  to  be  driven  across  the 
stream  to  higher  ground;  but  the  treacherous 
current  had  grown  so  swift  and  strong  that  she 
and  their  child,  together  with  the  driver  and 
mules,  were  swept  away  before  the  eyes  of  her 
husband,  who  stood  agonized  and  helpless  on 
the  shore. 


204  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

We  were  always  delighted  to  welcome  back 
the  troops  from  their  Indian  reconnoitering,  life 
was  so  dull  without  them.  During  their  ab- 
sence the  garrison  would  consist  perhaps  of  only 
one  company  of  infantry,  with  its  captain  and 
lieutenant ;  and  if  at  headquarters  a  quartermas- 
ter and  an  adjutant,  with  of  course  a  doctor, 
who  was  our  mainstay,  and  to  whom  we  rushed 
if  only  a  finger  ached.  That  summer  even  the 
band  was  in  the  field,  so  we  had  no  music  to 
cheer  us.  All  was,  however,  made  up  for  on 
i  their  return  in  November,  when  we  inaugurated 
a  series  of  hops  that  were  delightful. 

The  quarters  at  Fort  Union  had  an  unusually 
wide  hall  which  was  superb  for  dancing,  and 
three  rooms  on  each  side.  We  had  only  to 
notify  the  quartermaster  that  a  hop  was  to  be 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  205 

given,  when  our  barren  hallway  would  immedi- 
ately be  transferred  into  a  beautiful  ballroom, 
with  canvas  stretched  tightly  over  the  floor, 
flags  decorating  the  sides,  and  ceiling  so  charm- 
ingly draped  as  to  make  us  feel .  doubly  pa- 
triotic. 

Many  ladies  greatly  dislike  Fort  Union.  It 
has  always  been  noted  for  severe  dust-storms. 
Situated  on  a  barren  plain,  the  nearest  moun- 
tains, and  those  not  very  high,  three  miles  dis- 
tant, it  has  the  most  exposed  position  of  any 
military  fort  in  New  Mexico. 

The  soil  is  composed  of  the  finest  and,  seem- 
ingly, lightest  brown  sand,  which  when  the 
wind  blows  banks  itself  to  a  prodigious  height 
against  any  convenient  object.  The  most  ex- 
posed place  was  between  two  sets  of  quarters, 
which  were  some  distance  apart.  The  wind 
Avould  blow  from  a  certain  direction  one  day, 
and  completely  bank  the  side  of  one  house  ;  the 
next  it  would  shift,  when  the  sand  would  be 
found  lying  against  the  other. 

The   hope   of  having  any  trees,   or  even   a 


206  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

grassy  parade-ground,  had  been  abandoned  long 
before  our  residence  there  ;  for  either  the  grass- 
seed  would  be  scattered  by  the  wind,  or  the 
grass  actually  uprooted  and  blown  away  after  it 
had  grown. 

In  1886,  Avhen  I  again  visited  Fort  Union,  it 
seemed  indeed  a  cheerless  place  on  account 
of  the  lack  of  verdure.  The  cause  is  simply 
want  of  shelter ;  for  with  the  ample  water-works 
which  have  been  built  since  we  lived  there, 
much  could  be  done  if  it  were  in  a  less  exposed 
position. 

Those  sand-banks  were  famous  playgrounds 
for  the  children.  One  little  girl,  whose  mother 
was  constantly  upbraiding  her  for  lack  of  neat- 
ness, contrasting  her  with  our  little  daughter 
who  was  almost  painfully  tidy,  determining  to 
be  avenged,  coaxed  my  child  near  a  large  sand- 
pile  and  threw  her  down  on  it,  saying,  as  she 
again  and  again  poured  the  dirt  over  her : 

"  There,  now !  I  am  glad  to  see  you  as  dirty 
as  I  am  !  " 

Every  eye  is  said  to  form  its  own  beauty. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  207 

Mine  was  disposed  to  see  much  in  Fort  Union, 
for  I  had  a  home  there. 

AYhen  my  husband  returned  from  his  long 
scout  we  rode  horseback  daily.  Our  objective 
point  was  always  the  mountains,  where  trees 
and  green  grass  were  to  be  found  in  abundance. 
One  day  when  in  the  Turkey  mountains,  about 
three  miles  from  home,  we  saw  twQ  very  ugly- 
visaged  men  approaching.  Some  instinct,  or 
kind  Providence,  warned  Mr.  Boyd  to  keep  a 
watchful  eye  on  them,  so  he  deliberately  turned 
in  the  saddle,  and  placing  one  hand  on  a  pistol 
to  show  that  he  was  armed,  watched  them  out 
of  sight.  One  of  the  men,  who  turned  back 
and  looked  at  us,  also  rested  a  hand  on  his  hip 
where  the  pistol  is  carried.  Observing  that  we 
were  intently  watching  their  movements,  they 
rode  on,  leaving  us  unmolested. 

On  our  return  we  were  greeted  with  the  tale 
of  a  horrible  murder  that  had  been  committed 
on  the  very  outskirts  of  the  post.  A  soldier 
messenger,  who  for  ten  years  had  carried  the 
mail   between  Fort  Union   and  the  arsenal,  a 


208  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

mile  distant,  had  been  shot  within  fifteen  hun- 
dred yards  of  the  garrison,  and  fallen  lifeless 
by  the  roadside.  His  horse,  instead  of  being 
captured  by  the  murderers  as  they  had  hoped, 
galloped  wildly  toward  the  arsenal,  and  thus 
raised  an  alarm.  The  murderers  were  actually 
in  sight  when  the  poor  man's  body  was  found, 
still  warm,  but  with  life  extinct. 

A  pursuing  party  was  organized  without  loss 
of  time,  and  on  that  open,  level  plain  the 
wretches  were  almost  immediately  captured 
and  placed  in  the  guard-house.  Mr.  Boyd  at 
once  visited  them,  and  found,  as  he  expected, 
that  they  were  the  same  men  whom  we  had  met 
in  the  mountains  only  a  few  hours  previously. 
They  w^ould  not,  of  course,  reply  to  his  query 
why  they  did  not  kill  us  for  the  sake  of  the 
fine  horses  we  rode.  He  felt  certain  the  mur- 
derers would  be  dealt  with  as  summarily,  and 
told  them  so,  as  had  been  the  poor  messen- 
ger whom  they  so  foully  murdered,  and  whose 
family  was  then  suffering  the  most  poignant 
sorrow. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  209 

Late  that  evening  the  civil  authorities  de- 
manded the  prisoners.  Their  only  safety  lay 
in  the  commanding  officer  refusing  the  request ; 
but  claiming  that  he  had  no  authority  for  so 
doing,  they  were  delivered  to  the  sheriff,  though 
begging  and  pleading  to  be  permitted  to  remain 
in  the  guard-house.  The  men  dreaded  lynch 
law,  but  saw  no  mercy  in  the  faces  of  their 
jailers. 

After  proceeding  a  short  distance  from  the 
garrison,  their  escort  increased  in  numbers  until 
soon  an  immense  crowd  surrounded  them.  Not 
a  sound  was  heard  until  the  very  verge  of  the 
military  reservation  had  been  reached,  yet  a 
more  resolute  and  relentless  body  of  men  never 
marched  together. 

The  very  moment  the  last  foot  of  military 
ground  had  been  passed  the  sheriff  was  over- 
powered, evidently  with  no  very  great  reluc- 
tance ;  and  the  crowd,  producing  coils  of  rope, 
quickly  proceeded  to  hang  the  prisoners  to  tele- 
graph-poles, where  their  bodies  dangled  for  days, 
a  warning  to  all  horse  thieves  and  murderers. 


210  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

For  a  time  my  rides  were  spoiled ;  but  soon  I 
grew  brave  again,  though  we  were  always  there- 
after careful  to  be  thoroughly  well  armed  on 
t  leaving  home. 

I  might  multiply  accounts  of  our  experiences 
at  various  garrisons,  but  it  would  take  too  long. 
In  a  monotonous  life  days  slip  away  almost  un- 
consciously, and  one  is  surprised  to  find  how 
quickly  time  has  flown.  Looking  back,  it  seems 
incredibly  short,  because  there  were  no  impor- 
tant events  to  mark  its  progress. 

We  were  so  happily  situated  that  I  hoped  to 
remain  at  Fort  Union,  but  as  usual  springtime 
saw  us  on  the  wing.  It  w^as  undoubtedly  a 
high  compliment  to  my  husband  that  he  should 
always  have  been  chosen  as  an  administrative 
officer.  It  not  only  proved  Mr.  Boyd's  ability, 
but  was  a  testimony  to  his  honesty,  and  thus 
a  complete  refutation  of  the  charges  made 
against  him  at  West  Point.  It  was  also  a  spe- 
cial honor  to  be  singled  out  from  among  so  many 
men  by  the  general  in  command  at  distant  head- 
quarters ;    but   an   inconvenience,   particularly 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  211 

when  we  were  at  a  very  desirable  post  or  station, 
to  be  ordered  to  a  most  uncomfortable  one. 
Fort  Union  seemed  far  enough  from  the  rail- 
road, especially  as  our  year  East  had  made  us 
anxious  to  be  as  near  civilization  as  possible. 

We  were  looking  forward  to  a  long  stay  at 
our  pleasant  post,  when  an  unexpected  order 
came  for  Mr.  Boyd  to  proceed  immediately  to 
Fort  Bayard,  and  build  the  officers'  quarters 
needed  there.  He  kept  the  news  from  me  dur- 
ing the  day  of  its  arrival,  because  I  was  deeply 
engrossed  in  preparations  for  a  hop  to  be  given 
at  our  house  that  evening,  and  he  did  not  wish 
to  spoil  my  pleasure. 

The  entire  day  had  been  spent  in  decorating 
the  hall  and  preparing  supper.  Unfortunately 
the  first  guest  who  arrived  effectually  dampened 
my  spirits  by  sympathetically  exclaiming : 

"  Isn't  it  too  bad  you  have  to  leave  here  ?  " 

I  was  too  unhappy  to  enjoy  a  single  moment 
of  the  festivities  which  followed  ;  but  the  ar- 
rival of  the  entire  garrison,  who  danced  and 
otherwise  greatly  enjoyed   themselves,  left  in 


212  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

my  mind  a  picture  of  pleasant  army  gayety 
surpassed  by  none. 

As  usual  I  packed  our  household  belongings 
with  a  heavy  heart.  That  move  was  decidedly 
for  the  worse ;  and  even  if  the  journey,  with  its 
attendant  fatigue  and  expense,  had  not  been 
dreaded,  I  would  have  disliked  going  to  a  place 
so  much  farther  from  the  railroad,  and  where  so 
little  could  be  expected  in  the  way  of  com- 
fort. 

Fort  Bayard,  six  hundred  miles  south-west  of 
Fort  Union,  and  a  few  miles  distant  from  Ari- 
zona, was  considered  a  most  undesirable  locality, 
both  on  account  of  its  remoteness,  and  because 
no  houses  had  then  been  built  for  the  officers' 
use.  It  required  eighteen  days  to  reach  our  des- 
tination by  ambulance,  traveling  about  thirty- 
five  miles  each  day. 

After  leaving  Fort  Union  we  went  directly  to 
Santa  F^,  and  saw  that  quaint  old  Mexican 
town,  then  across  to  Albuquerque,  down  by 
the  borders  of  the  Rio  Grande  to  Fort  Selden, 
and  from   there   by  ascending  grades  to  Fort 


CAVALRY  LIFE,  '213 


Bayard,  which  was  in  the  more  mountainous 
region. 

The  journey  was  like  all  others  in  which  am- 
bulances were  used  as  conveyances  —  tiresome 
and  monotonous  in  the  extreme,  but  in  my  case 
always  either  modified  or  intensified  by  the 
gladness  or  reluctance  experienced  in  regard 
to  our  destination.  In  that  case  I  was  heartily 
sorry  for  the  move.  We  had  been  only  nine 
months  at  Fort  Union  ;  my  baby  was  at  a  trou- 
blesome age  and  needed  constant  care,  and  for 
the  first  time  I  was  without  a  nurse  of  any  sort. 
Besides,  it  was  mid-winter,  and  unusual  care 
must  be  exercised  to  keep  the  children  warm 
when  camping  out,  which  we  were  compelled 
to  do  a  part  of  the  time.  The  season  was,  how- 
ever, too  cold  to  permit  of  that  when  it  could 
be  avoided,  so  we  occupied  Mexican  houses 
almost  every  night. 

The  houses  were  very  warm  and  comforta- 
ble, but  oddly  arranged  according  to  American 
ideas.  In  place  of  windows  there  were  merely 
openings  for  air,  tightly  closed  or  covered  by 


214  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

solid  wooden  shutters  at  night.  Several  beds 
were  ranged  about  the  walls  of  each  long,  oddly 
shaped  room,  Avhich  except  for  a  primitive  wash- 
stand  contained  no  other  furniture.  There  was, 
however,  always  an  open  fireplace  and  a  cheer- 
ful blaze  of  mesquite  roots,  which  emitted  much 
heat,  and  a  curious  odor  that  one  never  forgets. 

The  food  was  always  enjoyed,  for  after  long, 
open-air  rides  no  one  is  ever  very  fastidious. 
Mexican  cooking  is  not  usually  relished  by 
those  unaccustomed  to  it,  because  always 
highly  flavored  wdth  garlic,  much  soaked  in 
grease,  and  almost  everything  deluged  with 
red  pepper,  without  a  lavish  use  of  which  no 
Mexican  can  prepare  a  single  dish. 

The  most  primitive  mode  of  grinding  corn  — 
by  hand  between  two  stones  —  was  then  still 
in  vogue ;  and  the  tortillas  made  from  meal 
thus  obtained,  simply  mixed  with  water  and 
baked,  were  not  only  very  sweet,  but  strange 
to  say  also  light,  probably  because  of  the  man- 
ipulation by  skilled  hands.  They  reminded  me 
of  the  delicious  beaten  biscuits  prepared  in  the 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  215 


South,  which  are  never  fit  to  be  eaten  anywhere 
else. 

The  Rio  Grande  again  became  our  constant 
companion,  and  we  drove  for  days  within  sight 
of  its  banks.  How  I  envied  the  Mexicans  who 
were  able  to  spend  their  lives  on  its  sunny 
shores.  Volumes  could  be  written  about  those 
peculiar  people,  with  their  almost  deathlike 
calm  of  manner,  seldom,  under  any  circum- 
stances, varied;  though  sometimes  the  fact  is 
betrayed  that  volcanic  fires  slumber  beneath,  to 
be  fully  roused  and  find  vent  only  when  their 
deepest  emotions  are  stirred. 

When  living  among  them  one  feels  the  neces- 
sity of  absorbing  some  of  their  traits,  which  are 
indeed  needed  in  a  country  wh^re  progress  is 
unknown,  and  where  the  customs  of  centuries 
past  still  remain,  not  as  traditions  but  as  facts. 
They  were  always  kind  and  gentle,  and  such 
devoted  admirers  of  our  fairer  race  as  to  make 
most  admirable  nurses  for  the  children,  except 
for  their  over  indulgence. 

The  towns  of   Mesilla  and   Las   Cru9es  are 


216  CAVALUY  LIFE. 

as  characteristic  in  their  way  as  any  of  old 
Spain,  and  quite  as  interesting.  We  passed 
through  both  en  route  to  Bayard,  and  my  pen 
would  fain  linger  over  their  many  peculiarities. 
Several  days  elapsed  after  leaving  the  Rio 
Grande  before  our  arrival  at  Fort  Bayard  in  New 
Mexico,  where  we  prepared  to  begin  afresh  the 
old  story  of  life  in  a  new  garrison.  Baby  had 
climbed  over  me  until  I  was  glad  to  rest  on  terra 
firma  again. 


CAVALRT  LIFE.  217 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Fort  Bayard,  surrounded  by  high  moun- 
tains, is  pleasantly  situated  in  a  very  hilly 
region.  The  officers'  quarters  face  the  Santa 
Rita  Mountains,  which  rise  to  an  abrupt  point 
directly  opposite  the  post,  a  few  miles  distant, 
forming  a  landmark  which  is  not  soon  forgotten, 
especially  if  constantly  in  view  for  three  years, 
during  which  time  we  had  the  good  fortune  to 
remain  there. 

On  the  brow  of  that  sharp  decline,  which 
rises  almost  at  right  angles  with  the  hill  be- 
neath, a  large,  irregularly  shaped  rock  had 
fallen,  which  bears  a  perfect  resemblance  to  a 
kneeling  figure,  and  faces  the  higher  point.  It 
was  called  the  kneeling  nun,  and,  of  course, 
invested  with  the  natives  by  a  suggestive  his- 
tory.    The  suppliant  posture  is  perfect,  and  the 


218  CAVALBT  LIFE. 

figure  conveyed  to  me  a  world  of  deep  mean- 
ing. 

That  little  corner  of  South-western  New  Mex- 
ico, in  which  we  remained  three  years,  a  length 
of  sojourn  so  unusual  and  unexpected  that 
every  spring  I  looked  for  an  order  to  move,  has 
an  unwTitten  history  which  would  cover  many 
pages.  It  is  the  mining  region  of  New  Mexico, 
and  has  the  most  perfect  climate  of  any  in  the 
United  States,  neitlier  extremely  warm  in  sum- 
mer, nor  severel}^  cold  in  winter;  and  the  sun 
shines  at  least  three  hundred  days  in  each  year 
with  a  warmth  and  brightness  which  render 
life  perfectly  enjoyable,  if  spent  out  of  doors  as 
it  should  be. 

The  only  real  storms  are  in  summer,  when 
during  the  rainy  season  clouds  suddenly  gather 
in  the  afternoon,  and  are  followed  by  such  a 
downpour  of  rain,  with  perhaps  thunder  and 
lightning,  that  it  seems  as  if  everything  would 
be  washed  away.  After  the  full  force  and  fury 
of  the  elements  have  been  spent,  every  cloud 
disappears,  and   the   day  ends  with   a   perfect 


CAVALRY  LIFE,  219 

sunset,  wliich  is  followed  by  a  night  still,  calm, 
and  wonderfully  beautiful. 

Occasionally,  but  not  often,  snow  falls  in 
winter;  altogether,  the  climate  is  perfect,  and 
I  have  often  since  wondered  why  that  locality 
is  not  popular  as  a  health  resort,  for  a  more 
bracing  and  invigorating  air  is  never  breathed 
anywhere. 

On  account  of  the  infrequency  of  rain,  vege- 
tation is  not  very  green,  but  neither  is  it  shriv- 
eled and  parched.  Cattle  never  fail  to  find 
succulent  pasturage  in  the  bunch  grass,  which 
even  when  perfectly  dry  is  nutritious.  But  for 
the  constant  Indian  depredations  from  which 
that  region  has  suffered  for  twenty  years,  it 
would  be  the  garden  spot  of  the  West.  The 
climate  is  much  milder  in  winter  than  that  of 
Colorado. 

Mines  of  every  description  have  been  found 
in  New  Mexico,  from  the  famous  Santa  Rita 
copper  mines,  which  bear  traces  of  having  been 
worked  centuries  ago,  to  more  recently  discov- 
ered ones  of  silver  and  gold.     These  latter  have 


220  CATALUY  LIFE. 

caused  the  building  of  the  only  American  town, 
known  there,  Silver  City,  which,  with  its  one 
hundred  beautiful  red  brick  houses,  is  a  won- 
derful place,  considering  the  locality  and  sur- 
roundings. All  this  is,  however,  more  recent, 
although  the  town  had  a  number  of  fine  resi- 
dences when  we  were  there  nearly  a  score  of 
years  ago.  It  is  only  an  hour's  drive  from  Fort 
Bayard,  over  the  most  lovely  rolling  mountain 
road,  and  the  visits  to  Silver  City  were  a  very 
pleasant  feature  of  our  life  when  at  that  fort. 

The  Fort  Bayard  which  first  greeted  our  eyes 
was,  except  for  climate  and  scenery,  a  sorry 
place.  It  boasted  a  large  garrison,  but  we  were 
shown  into  a  perfectly  miserable  hut  that  was 
our  shelter  for  months.  The  cabins  or  huts  in 
which  the  officers  lived  were  directly  back  of 
the  new  quarters,  stone  foundations  for  which 
had  already  been  laid. 

The  houses  were  to  be  built  of  adobe  bricks, 
that  were  made  by  simply  mixing  to  a  proper 
consistency  with  water  the  earth  obtained  from 
excavating  in  front  of  our  dwellings,  shaping  in 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  221 

primitive  wooden  molds,  and  drying  in  the  hot 
sun. 

All  the  workmen  were  slow-moving  Mexi- 
cans, who  built  houses  in  the  same  way  as  had 
their  forefathers  for  generations.  They  knew 
no  meaning  for  the  word  "  hurry,"  so  it  took 
months  to  erect  those  simple  homes ;  and  mean- 
time we  not  only  lived  in  wretched  huts,  but 
could  not  venture  out  after  dark  for  fear  of  fall- 
ing into  some  one  of  the  many  pits. 

Our  experience  was  dreadful  for  one  long 
year,  then  the  houses  were  finally  completed. 
The  ground  had  been  so  torn  up  that  the  least 
gust  of  wind  seemed  sufficient  to  start  all  the 
loose  earth  in  motion,  when  we  would  be  almost 
buried  in  clouds  of  dust ;  but  our  worst  trouble 
was  during  the  rainy  season. 

Our  houses  were  situated  on  the  brow  of  a 
hill,  and  when  sudden  summer  storms  arose 
they  washed  right  through  the  house.  We  pre- 
ferred to  give  them  the  right  of  way  rather  than 
have  the  buildings,  wretched  as  they  were,  en- 
tirely disappear,  so  the   back   doors'  Would  be 


222  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

opened,  and  the  storms  permitted  to  sweep 
through  before  finding  egress  at  the  front  doors. 
The  houses,  so-called  by  courtesy,  were  merely 
log  cabins  without  floors ;  it  was  therefore  neces- 
sary, at  such  times,  to  mount  on  chairs  or  tables 
if  we  desired  to  escape  mud  baths.  The  roofs, 
thatched  with  straw  and  overlaid  with  mud, 
had  a  way  of  leaking  that  was  apt  to  result  in 
huge  mud-puddles  being  spread  in  all  direc- 
tions. The  ladies  always  took  refuge  under 
umbrellas  until  after  the  storms  subsided. 

None  could  envy  others,  for  all  were  in  tlie 
same  boat,  with  no  comforts  whatever.  Some- 
times the  whole  roof  fell  in,  but  no  one  was 
ever  hurt,  and  on  the  two  occasions  which  I 
recall,  bachelor  officers  were  the  sufferers. 

The  lieutenant-colonel  who  commanded  our 
post,  having  no  family,  had  kindly  given  his 
house  to  a  little  bride,  whose  husband  was  a 
recent  graduate  of  West  Point.  She,  like  my- 
self, had  started  out  expecting  to  find  all  mili- 
tary stations  like  that  lovely  place,  and  had 
brought  from   New  York  the   most   luxurious 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  223 


outfit  ever  seen  on  the  frontier.  Magnificent 
carpets  and  curtains  from  Sloan's,  fit  for  any 
New  York  palace,  had  been  shipped  all  that 
long  distance,  and  she  proceeded  to  lay  the  for- 
mer directly  over  the  mud  floor  in  her  house, 
and  to  hang  the  latter  at  her  little  windows. 

The  house  was  in  every  respect  like  all  the 
rest,  with  three  rooms  in  a  row,  and  one  or  two 
forming  an  ell;  yet  she  had  decked  the  interior 
to  look  like  a  perfect  fairy  bower.  The.  front 
room,  that  opened  directly  out  of  doors,  was 
the  sitting-room ;  back  of  that  was  a  sleeping 
apartment,  and  then  the  kitchen. 

When  the  first  severe  storm  arose  and  swept 
right  through  that  house,  the  rain  coming  in  at 
the  back  and  going  out  at  the  front  door,  I 
never  saw  a  more  dismayed  and  discouraged 
woman  than  was  our  little  bride,  and  no  won- 
der. Her  fairy  bower  had  been  transformed 
into  a  mud-bank ;  the  pretty  white  curtains 
were  streaked  and  discolored  beyond  recogni- 
tion, the  carpets  covered  with  mud,  while  the 
pictures  and  ornaments  were  unrecognizable. 


224  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

That  lady  was  like  many  I  have  met,  both 
before  and  since.  She  expected  ordinary  modes 
of  life  to  prevail  at  the  frontier,  and  had  carried 
with  her  at  least  a  dozen  large  trunks,  for  which 
she  was  glad  to  find  simply  storage,  and  whose 
pretty  contents  never  saw  the  light. 

Her  experience  was  pitiable.  Having  an 
abundance  of  money,  she  naturally  supposed  it 
would  purchase  some  comforts  ;  but  money  was 
of  no. use  to  her  there,  and,  indeed,  seemed  only 
an  aggravation.  The  little  woman  used  to  send 
East  for  articles,  which  for  economy's  sake  the 
rest  of  us  went  without,  and  disappointments 
invariably  followed.  Whatever  was  received  — 
which  would  be  only  after  almost  incredible 
waiting  —  was  never  what  she  had  expected ; 
and  if  garments  had  been  ordered,  alterations 
which  none  but  a  skilled  hand  could  make  were 
always  needed. 

I  remember  being  once  consulted  about  a 
Christmas  present  designed  for  her  husband. 
She  had  decided  upon  a  beautiful  picture, 
which,  although  ordered  in  ample  time,  did  not 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  225 

arrive  until  long  after  the  holidays,  and  the 
express  charges  alone  were  fifty  dollare.  Her 
disappointments  were  well  nigh  endless,  and 
led  me  to  believe  that  money  was  not  so  much 
a  promoter  of  happiness  in  frontier  life  as  it, 
would  usually  be  considered  elsewhere  ;  for  no 
matter  how  much  people  were  able  to  spend 
they  could  not  buy  luxuries,  and  to  send  East 
for  them  meant  only  tantalization  and  weary 
waiting. 

Perhaps  some  of  my  own  experiences  in  the 
matter  of  express  charges  may  not  prove  unin- 
teresting. Every  woman  is  said  to  love  a  new 
bonnet ;  but  army  women  show  the  greatest 
unconcern  regarding  fashions,  probably  because 
their  lives  are  so  different  from  those  of  their 
city  sisters. 

When  some  head  covering  became  a  positive 
necessity,  we  usually  sent  East  for  a  plain  little 
hat,  dark  and  useful,  as  it  was  needed  mainly 
for  wear  when  driving  around  the  country.  I 
had  quite  worn  out  my  Eastern  supply  after 
a  two  years'  residence  at  Bayard,  so  ordered  a 


226  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


quiet  little  hat  or  bonnet  from  New  York.  In- 
stead, I  received  a  very  gaudy,  dashing  piece  of 
millinery  that  would  have  been  suitable  for  the 
opera,  but  was  altogether  out  of  place  on  the 
frontier.  The  bonnet  cost  twenty  dollars,  and 
the  express  charges  were  twenty-two.  P'or  that 
entirely  useless  arrangement,  therefore,  I  had 
to  pay  forty-two  dollars,  and  then  had  no  bon- 
net, for  I  never  wore  it. 

That  little  lady  had  all  the  ambition  and 
pride  in  a  refined  way  of  living  that  naturally 
arose  from  having  spent  her  early  life  amid 
luxurious  surroundings.  She  had  passed  sev- 
eral years  in  the  gayest  capitals  of  Europe,  had 
imbibed  most  extravagant  ideas  from  fond  and 
indulgent  parents,  had  scarcely  ever  known  an 
ungratified  wish,  and  was  therefore  less  pre- 
pared for  the  actual  realities  of  life,  as  de- 
veloped at  Fort  Bayard,  than  any  one  else  I 
have  ever  known.  The  desire  and  attempt  to 
live  in  accordance  with  her  means  resulted  in 
constant  disappointments  and  trials.  I  have 
never  seen   any  one  who  worked  so  hard  to 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  227 

accomplish  what  were  considered  simply  neces- 
sities, and  yet  whose  labor  was  so  entirely 
unrewarded. 

She  wanted  to  entertain  lavishly;  and  hav- 
ing beautiful  table  appointments  it  was  really 
a  treat  to  dine  at  her  house  ;  but  when  she  told 
of  the  labor  involved,  by  reason  of  incompetent 
help,  the  task  seemed  too  great  to  include  any 
pleasure.  Her  utter  ignorance  of  household 
duties  made  her  an  easy  prey  to  servants'  wiles, 
and  the  very  fact  that  she  could  so  lavishly 
supply  materials  only  made  them  more  ready  to 
take  advantage. 

She  tried  the  same  experiment  we  had  — 
taking  a  servant  from  New  York  —  but  fared 
even  worse,  as  her  maid  left  when  Santa  Fe 
was  reached,  saying  she  did  "not  care  to  go 
any  farther  from  civilization."  The  officer's 
wife  had  no  redress,  although  she  had  spent 
quite  a  large  sum  both  on  the  girl's  fare  and 
baggage,  as  they  had  traveled  by  stage. 

When,  a  year  later,  this  same  lady  had  a  dear 
little  girl  born,  she  offered,  but  in  vain,  fifty 


228  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

dollars  a  week  to  any  one  who  would  care  for 
herself  and  child.  It  was  really  pitiful  to  see 
the  beautiful  young  woman  lying  neglected,  de- 
prived of  the  most  common  care,  when  if  money 
could  have  availed  she  would  have  been  en- 
veloped in  luxury.  Of  course,  attentions  were 
received  from  other  ladies,  but  hers  was  one  of 
the  many  cases  I  have  known  where  Dame 
Nature  alone  was  at  hand  to  assist. 

My  pen  glides  lovingly  over  the  paper  when 
I  begin  to  describe  army  ladies,  and  fain  would 
linger  to  fill  page  after  page  with  loving  remi- 
niscences of  their  sweet  goodness  and  devotion 
to  husbands  and  the  cause  they  represented. 
Surely  in  no  other  life  can  women  be  found 
who  are  at  once  so  brave  and  true. 

At  each  post  I  formed  devoted  attachments 
to  some  woman,  and  were  the  love  experienced 
for  them  all  and  their  perfections  to  be  de- 
scribed, this  book  could  contain  little  else  ;  for ' 
one  story  after  another  of  their  wifely  devotion 
and  absolute  self-abnegation,  carried  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  be  actually  heroic,  is  recalled. 


CAVALBY  LIFE.  229 

No  murmur  was  ever  heard  at  the  order  to 
move,  if  women  were  to  be  included;  for  no 
matter  how  hard,  long,  or  wearisome  the  jour- 
ne}',  they  were  content  if  permitted  to  accom- 
pany their  husbands.  But  wlien  the  officers 
were  sent  away  on  the  many  expeditions  cavalry 
service  demanded,  where  their  wives  could  not 
go  with  them,  then  were  they  indeed  wretched ; 
hours  and  days  seemed  endless  until  the  return 
of  loved  ones. 

This  intense  devotion  was  the  cause  of  inces- 
sant hardships  being  borne ;  for  in  many  in- 
stances, if  tlie  ladies  would  have  returned  to 
their  Eastern  homes,  care  and  attention  would 
have  been  bestowed  which  can  never  be  ex- 
pected on  the  frontier. 

The  difficulty  of  obtaining  competent  help  in 
household  cares  could  never  be  surmounted. 
Even  when  near  Mexican  settlements  we  would 
find  that  a  long  line  of  idle  ancestry,  together 
with  every  tendency  of  climate,  surroundings, 
and  viciousness,  had  so  developed  indolence  in 
the  natives  as  to  utterly  incapacitate  them  for 


230  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

any  serious  employment.  They  were  capable 
only  of  sucli  tasks  as  allowed  them  to  bask  in 
the  sun  and  smoke  cigarettes  all  day  long.  As 
they  made  admirable  nurses,  and  we  liked  to 
have  our  children  live  out  of  doors,  they  could 
be  utilized  in  that  way ;  but  heavier  household 
tasks  were  left  for  more  energetic  hands. 

When  I  think  of  that  delicious  sun  and  air, 
and  recall  those  happy  days,  I  wonder  how  any 
thing  can  be  remembered  except  the  absolute 
content  experienced  when  we  finally  moved 
into  our  new  quarters,  and  regularly  settled 
down  into  sweet  home  life.  The  children  throve 
and  bloomed  like  flowers,  and  were  never  ill. 

In  the  South-western  climate  ordinary  dis- 
eases do  not  prevail,  and  if  any  of  the  epidemics 
which  mothers  usually  dread  break  out,  the 
absolute  pureness  of  the  air  renders  them  innoc- 
uous; and  with  even  ordinary  care  children 
speedily  recover.  Army  doctors,  in  the  double 
capacity  of  physician  and  family  friend,  also 
give  most  extraordinary  care,  so  sickness  is 
rarely  fatal.     Except  from  teething  and.  its  at- 


CAVALBT  LIFE.  231 

tendant  ills,  babies  are  almost  exempt  from 
maladies,  and  children  live  so  secluded  from 
outside  influences  that  mine  never  even  had, 
measles  or  any  other  childish  disease.  1 

One  beautiful  babe  died  from  teething,  and 
during  its  illness  every  lady  in  the  post  passed 
her  entire  time  at  its  bedside  when  allowed  to 
do  so.  But  that  may  be  instanced  as  only  one 
proof  of  the  sincere  interest  felt  in  each  other 
by  people  who  are  isolated  from  all  the  rest  of 
the  world. 


232  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

I  HAVE  always  thought  army  life  would  be 
delightful  if  there  was  the  slightest  certainty 
of  remaining  at  any  post  for  a  given  length  of 
time ;  but  this  is  so  out  of  the  question  that 
many  comforts  which  might  otherwise  be  pro- 
cured are  gradually  tabooed. 

Officers  become  so  accustomed  to  expect  re- 
moval, that  they  are  unwilling  to  accumulate 
comforts  which  must  be  left  when  marching 
orders  are  received;  and  every  one  is  apt  to 
give  credence  in  some  degree  to  the  rumors 
which  continually  gain  ground,  and  usually 
emanate  from  an  unknown  source,  that  a  change 
is  soon  to  be  made.  One  lives  in  a  veritable 
atmosphere  of  unrest  until  it  becomes  second 
nature. 

At  Bayard,  for  the  first  time  during  our  army 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  233 

life,  we  felt  somewhat  settled.     Cavalry  service 
consists  entirely  of  unforeseen  emergencies,  de- 
j  pendent  upon  the  country's  condition  and  its 
?  need  for  the  movement  of  troops,  either  in  the 
pursuit  of   Indians   or  horse-thieves.     As   Mr. 
•  Boyd  had  been  sent  to  superintend  the  building 
of  the  quarters  at  Bayard,  we  felt  that  unless 
his  regiment  moved  he  would  remain  as  quar- 
termaster until  they  were  completed,  so  quietly 
established  ourselves  in  one  of  the  new  houses 
to  enjoy  life  and  a  more  prolonged  stay  than 
usual. 

We  made  many  pleasant  friends  in  the  neigh- 
boring town  of  Silver  City,  enjoyed  a  great 
deal  of  company  from  there,  and  always  drove 
over  to  the  entertainments  they  gave,  some  of 
which  were  of  a  very  comical  nature. 
I  Imagine  a  ball  at  which  every  element  is  rep- 
'  resented,  from  the  most  refined  to  the  most  un- 
cultivated, from  the  transplanted  branches  of 
excellent  Eastern  families,  who  lured  by  enti- 
cing descriptions  of  great  mineral  wealth  to  be 
found  at  the  West  had  gone  there  in  search  of 


234  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


fortunes,  to  the  rudest  specimens  of  frontier 
life,  who  had  never  seen  anything  else,  and 
were  devoid  of  all  education,  yet,  like  true 
Americans,  regarded  themselves  as  the  very 
quintessence  of   knowledge  and  good-breeding. 

The  balls  were  alwa3^s  held  in  the  court- 
house ;  and  when,  during  court  session,  the 
judge  and  attendant  lawyers  were  to  be  hon- 
ored with  an  entertainment  in  consonance  with 
their  dignity,  the  rude  room  would  be  cleared 
of  benches  just  before  the  hour  at  which  the 
dance  was  to  begin,  and  pretty  dresses  would 
trail  over  the  floor  which  had  not  been  cleaned 
for  weeks,  and  which  was  the  recipient  of  every 
kind  of  dShris. 

At  one  of  those  balls,  held  immediately  after 
court  had  adjourned,  the  window-sills  had  been 
made  receptacles  for  all  such  usual  appliances 
of  lawyers  as  paper,  pens,  and  ink.  The  army- 
post  guests  laid  their  many  wraps  in  one  of 
those  windows  because  there  was  no  dressing- 
room.  In  fact,  such  a  luxury  was  unknown. 
When  ready  to  return  home,  our  wraps  were 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  235 

pulled  down,  and  with  them  came  several  bot- 
tles of  ink,  which  sprinkled  their  contents  lib- 
erally over  shawls  and  head-gear.  As  usual,  I 
was  a  sufferer,  and  have  to  this  day,  as  me- 
mento of  the  occasion,  a  very  handsome  shawl 
that  was  completely  ruined.  But  to  remain 
at  home  from  the  only  pleasure  our  circum- 
stances afforded  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  and 
fine  clothes  were  willingly  sacrificed. 

We  could  rarely  indulge  in  dancing-parties 
at  Bayard  because  there  were  so  few  ladies. 
When,  occasionally,  a  special  effort  in  that  di- 
rection was  made,  the  fact  that  we  had  no 
proper  dancing-hall  would  be  emphasized,  and 
the  large  double  parlors  of  our  commanding 
officer's  house  utilized.  With  the  facilities  at 
hand  for  decorating  tliem  with  beautiful  flags, 
cannon,  stacked  bayonets  and  swords,  we  gave 
several  dances,  which  contrasted  favorably  with 
the  town  balls,  and  quite  cured  me  of  any 
desire  to  ever  again  dance  on  so  different  a 
floor. 

Yet  we   sincerely   enjoyed   our   Silver   City 


236  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

friends,  and  our  greatest  pleasure  was  to  drive 
over  and  visit  them,  returning  early  in  the 
evening,  very  much  fatigued,  but  happy  be- 
cause we  lived  near  any  sort  of  town,  instead 
of  being  cut  entirely  off  from  all  outside  life. 

Our  cook  often  rebelled  at  the  large  parties 
of  friends  who  sometimes  visited  us  unex- 
pectedly, and,  as  before  in  similar  experiences, 
showed  his  displeasure  by  indulging  too  freely 
in  "strong  water."  One  day  he  notably  dis- 
tinguished liimself,  and  almost  extinguished  me, 
by  reeling  in  before  a  whole  party  of  friends 
who  were  awaiting  luncheon,  and  declaring 
that  he  was  no  slave,  neither  had  he  engaged 
himself  as  a  hotel  cook.  His  freedom  of  man- 
ner was  so  natural  among  frontier  people,  that 
eveiy  one  laughed,  and  all  sallied  out  in  the 
dining-room,  where  we  passed  around  bowls  of 
bread  and  milk. 

We  had  two  excellent  cows,  and  my  delight 
was  to  work  large  rolls  of  butter  into  dainty  pats 
for  the  table.  Never  before  or  since  have  I  so 
enjoyed  housekeeping  as  at  Fort  Bayard.     Our 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  237 

chickens  seemed  fairly  to  multiply,  and  I  could 
keep  no  count  of  the  eggs  they  laid.  We  were 
able  to  supply  every  one,  and  still  have  quan- 
tities left  for  our  own  use. 

T  was  in  my  element ;  for  I  found  that  by 
dint  of  judicious  management  fifty  dollars  a 
month  could  be  laid  aside,  so  in  two  years'  time 
we  were  entirely  out  of  debt,  and  fully  resolved 
never  again  to  enter  the  state.  That  was  our 
golden  harvest  time,  and  I  look  back  upon  it 
with  unspeakable  pleasure. 

I  would  like  the  ability  to  describe  one  beau- 
tiful friend  who  was  my  constant  companion  at 
that  time,  but  no  pen  can  do  justice  to  the 
admirable  traits  of  so  perfect  a  woman.  She  is 
still  with  her  husband  in  the  West,  a  pattern  of 
all  womanly  goodness.  Her  example  may  well 
be  followed  by  all  who  leave  good  homes  to 
follow  their  husbands  in  army  life,  for  only  the 
absolute  unselfishness  she  so  beautifully  exem- 
plified will  enable  women  to  endure  the  same 
hardships.  It  was  her  sweet  little  first  baby  to 
whose  death  I  have  alluded,  and  which  left  us 


238  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

all  sincere  mourners  for  her  dear  sake.  She 
always  reminded  me  of  the  virtuous  woman 
described  in  the  Bible,  whose  "children  arise 
up,  and  call  her  blessed." 

But  I  must  not  linger  over  those  recollections 
of  dear  Fort  Bayard,  where  we  enjoyed  a  real 
home  for  three  years,  and  even  flowers  in 
abundance.  If  people  in  civil  life  could  know 
of  the  weeks  and  months  of  care  one  little  plant 
has  often  received  from  an  army  woman,  be- 
cause a  dear  reminder  of  her  distant  home,  they 
would  understand  what  a  luxury  it  was  to  be 
able  to  raise  flowers  without  any  particular 
effort.  Though  one  loves  work,  yet  it  is  pleas- 
ant to  be  sometimes  rewarded ;  and  we  had 
never  before  been  where  flowers  could  be  freely 
indulged  in,  nor  have  we  since. 

There  was  another  especial  pleasure  we  en- 
joyed at  Fort  Bayard,  which  to  me  is  the  chief 
charm  of  army  life  —  constant  rides  on.  horse- 
back. At  that  post  they  were  delightful ;  for, 
go  where  we  would  in  any  direction,  excellent 
mountain  roads  and  superb  scenery  rew^arded 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  239 

US.  Our  favorite  jaunt  was  to  the  Santa  Rita 
mountains.  Having  gained  them,  we  would 
dismount  and  explore  the  famous  mines  which 
were  tunneled  in  so  many  directions  that  I 
always  feared  lest  we  should  be  buried  alive. 
Those  tunnels  had  been  dug  centuries  before, 
and  the  then  so-called  "new  industry  "  was  but 
a  revival  of  past  labors. 

Mr.  Boyd,  true  to  his  nature,  which  was  to 
employ  every  moment  in  devoted  service  to  the 
government,  rarely  found  time  to  escort  me 
until  after  the  day's  duties  were  over ;  or  we 
would  arise  very  early  in  the  morning,  and  enjoy 
a  ride  that  colored  my  mind  for  weeks  with  a 
vague  fancy  that  life  was  not  altogether  and 
entirely  real  and  practical,  but  was  full  of  deep 
beauty ;  and  if  we  could  only  live  more  out-of- 
doors,  and  be  permeated  more  often  and  thor- 
^  oughly  with  the  charms  of  nature  as  seen  in  the 
early  freshness  and  beauty  of  such  mornings  as 
were  those,  we  should  be  elevated,  and  enabled 
to  grasp  more  of  spiritual  things  than  tame  and 
ordinary  humdrum  life  permits. 


240  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

Oh,  I  envy  the  woodsman  who  is  content 
with  nature,  and  never  pines  for  the  artificial 
life  of  cities!  Nature  is  perfect,  and  in  such 
deep  solitudes  the  most  prosaic  minds  must 
realize  this  truth.  I 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  241 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

I  HAVE  not  very  often  referred  in  this  volume 
to  the  character  of  my  husband,  for  in  my  opin- 
ion it  needs  no  vindication.  Mr.  Boyd  always 
left  in  the  minds  of  every  one  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact  the  impress  of  a  most  noble 
nature.  His  devotion  to  duty  was  so  extreme 
that  all  else  was  laid  aside  at  its  call ;  and  at 
Fort  Bayard  he  so  entirely  gave  his  whole  time 
and  attention  to  arduous  and  unremitting  labors 
as  to  scarcely  find  time  for  any  pleasures.  Mr. 
Boyd  was  as  much  of  a  worker  as  ever  can  be 
found  in  civil  life,  where  a  man  expects  reward 
for  faithful  service.  In  the  army  there  is  none. 
Of  course  that  is  well  understood,  and  any  one 
who  devotes  his  life  to  duty  there,  does  it  purely 
from  principle. 

Two  singular  occurrences,  which  have  always 


242  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

been  mysteries  to  me,  happened  at  Fort  Bayard. 
We  moved  into  the  new  quarters  before  our  new 
house — a  double  one  —  was  entirely  completed. 
The  part  in  which  we  lived  was  separated  from 
the  other  by  a  wall  that  divided  the  halls,  and 
the  unoccupied  side  was  filled  with  shavings  and 
dShris.  One  night  after  we  had  retired,  some 
one  laid  a  lighted  candle  on  a  large  pile  of  shav- 
ings, which  of  course  caught  fire,  and  we  were 
awakened  from  sound  sleep  by  a  strong  smell  of 
smoke.  This  was  soon  traced  to  its  source,  and 
we  found  a  fine  fire  rapidly  developing.  The 
floor  had  burned  away,  leaving  a  cavernous 
depth  beneath. 

It  was  unquestionably  the  work  of  an  incen- 
diary; and  a  few  weeks  afterward  the  same 
wicked  hand,  presumably,  fired  a  huge  stack 
of  hay,  consisting  of  the  entire  winter's  supply 
of  six  hundred  tons,  which  at  frontier  posts  is 
always  stacked  near  the  corral  and  guarded  day 
and  night  by  sentries. 

In  that  absolutely  dry  climate  such  a  fire, 
when    once   started,   has   no   hindrance   to   its 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  243 

progress ;  and  though  every  available  hand  was 
quickly  on  the  spat  pouring  water,  of  course  it 
was  a  useless  task.  Though  a  beautiful  sight 
to  see  that  brilliant  blaze  of  light  defined  against 
the  clear,  dark  sky,  my  heart  ached  when  I 
thought  of  the  trouble  and  worry  it  would  cause 
Mr.  Boyd,  and  also  of  the  animals'  deprivation. 
The  entire  summer  had  been  required  in  which 
to  procure  enough  hay  for  so  many ;  and  the  fire 
occurred  in  early  winter,  when  no  more  could 
be  cut. 

It  is  a  custom  in  the  army  at  the  slightest 
alarm  of  fire  to  sound  a  call,  which  brings  every 
man  to  the  spot  with  a  bucket  in  his  hand.  It 
is  really  marvelous  to  see  how  soon  ordinary 
fires  yield  to  army  treatment.  But  if  a  high 
wind  is  blowing,  the  supply  of  water,  limited  to 
barrels  which  are  placed  between  the  houses  and 
always  kept  filled,  is  insufficient,  and  little  can 
be  done  to  stay  its  devastating  progress.  In 
spite  of  sympathy  and  real  concern  for  losses 
sustained,  one  is  sure  to  enjoy  the  excitement. 

I  witnessed  one  shocking  fire  at»Bayard  which 


244  CAVALEY  LIFE. 

broke  out  in  a  small  private  stable  attached  to 
the  post-trader's  house.  It  had  made  such  head- 
way that  when  discovered  three  beautiful  horses 
were  already  enveloped  in  flames  :  they  were 
fairly  roasted  alive  before  the  eyes  of  the  as- 
sembled garrison.  Most  pathetic  cries  proceeded 
from  the  helpless  animals  before  death  merci- 
fully released  them  from  their  sufferings. 

While  the  ladies  sorrowfully  looked  on,  the 
men  spread  wet  blankets  over  an  adjoining  roof 
in  order  that  it  might  be  saved ;  for  if  a  tiny 
spark  had  fallen  on  the  dry  shingles  they  would 
have  immediately  ignited  and  the  flames  spread 
rapidly. 

After  three  happy  years  had  been  passed  at 
that  post,  orders  were  received  to  march  into 
Texas  and  exchange  with  the  Ninth  Cavalry. 

Christmas  Day  was  celebrated  in  camp,  and  in 
a  double  sense,  for  we  had  that  morning  a  nar- 
row escape  from  almost  instant  death. 

On  reaching  the  Rio  Grande,  we  found  the 
river  fairly  booming.  It  was  a  glorious  sight, 
swelled  to  a  htige  flood  that  swept  past  in  majes- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  245 

tic  grandeur.  A  primitive  flat-boat  worked  by- 
ropes  and  pulleys  —  nothing  but  a  rude  raft 
with  no  railing  or  chain  either  fore  or  aft  — 
was  called  into  requisition  to  ferry  us  across, 
and  we  sat  quietly  in  the  ambulance  while  it 
was  driven  aboard. 

A  superb  dog  that  belonged  to  one  of  our 
friends,  and  had  been  our  pet  for  years,  was  in- 
advertently left  standing  on  the  bank.  Some 
one  on  the  boat  tried  to  induce  him  to  swim 
across,  making  the  same  sound  in  calling  the 
dog  that  would  have  been  used  to  start  the 
mules.  Our  four  mules,  supposing  it  was  a 
signal  to  them,  immediately  started,  and  the 
leaders'  fore  feet  were  actually  on  the  very  edge 
of  the  boat  when  a  man  seized  them  by  their 
heads.  Another  second,  another  step,  and  our 
heavy  ambulance  would  have  been  overboard. 

So  rapidly  had  the  occurrence  passed  that 
almost  before  realizing  an  accident  was  seem- 
ingly inevitable,  we  had  been  saved  from  a 
watery  grave.  The  river  at  that  point  was 
at  least  twenty  feet  deep,  and  had  the  mules 


246  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

plunged  in,  sudden  and  swift  death  would  have 
followed. 

I  have  never  since  been  able  to  sit  quietly 
in  a  carriage  while  crossing  a  ferry ;  though  of 
course  no  such  rude  craft,  without  even  a  rope 
guard,  can  be  found  in  civilized  parts  of  the 
world. 

After  all  was  over,  I  looked  at  my  little  chil- 
dren, so  unconscious  of  danger,  and  shuddered 
at  the  thought  of  the  horrible  fate  we  had  es- 
caped. If  people  should  dwell  continually 
on  the  perils  of  Western  life  they  would  be 
wretched.  That  journey  embraced  every  ele- 
ment of  danger,  and  yet  I  actually  became 
callous. 

Our  mules  were  such  superb  animals,  and  so 
capable  of  swift  progress,  that  every  few  days 
they  evinced  a  spirit  with  which  I  heartily  sym- 
pathized, running  for  miles  and  creating  a  pro- 
found excitement  throughout  the  entire  com- 
mand. As  nine-tenths  of  Texas  is  flat  prairie 
with  excellent  roads,  I  rather  enjoyed  the  sensa- 
tion.     Nothing  in  my  whole  army  experience 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  247 

wearied  me  so  much  as  those  endless  days  of 
slow,  monotonous  travel.  When  with  troops 
we  could  not  go  faster  than  a  walk,  for  the 
horses  must  be  favored  in  order  that  their 
strength  might  hold  out  during  the  weeks 
those  journeys  consumed ;  and  it  was  not  safe, 
in  the  then  unsettled  condition  of  the  country, 
for  us  to  ride  far  in  advance. 

Our  march  occupied  eight  weeks;  but  some 
of  the  troops  that  were  ordered  from  Northern 
New  Mexico  to  Southern  Texas  were  between 
three  and  four  months  on  the  road,  and  the 
chapter  of  incidents  which  beset  their  path  was 
remarkable.  I  have  before  alluded  to  this  jour- 
ney— the  one  on  which  nine  infants  were  bom 
en  route;  and  in  every  instance  mothers  and 
children  were  obliged  to  proceed  the  next  day, 
regardless  of  health  or  even  life. 

During  one  week  of  our  march  it  rained  day 
and  night,  and  tents  were  pitched  in  the  midst 
of  mud  and  general  discomfort;  but  after  a 
cheerful  blaze  had  been  started  in  our  little 
stove  we  did  not  mind  so  very  much,  though  of 


248  CAVALEY  LIFE. 

course  it  was  not  pleasant.  The  real  trials  from 
which  others  suffered,  and  which  were  therefore 
kept  constantly  in  mind,  enabled  us  to  realize 
that- our  lot  might  be  much  worse. 

The  baggage  of  one  woman,  who  had  four 
little  girls  to  clothe  and  care  for,  was  deluged 
in  crossing  the  Pecos  River,  and  the  fact  not 
discovered  until  their  destination  had  been 
reached,  when  the  clothes  dropped  in  pieces  on 
being  touched. 

As  each  family  packed  all  superfluities,  and 
kept  only  a  traveling  outfit,  the  trunks  with  re- 
serve clothing  were  never  opened  while  en  route; 
and  the  treacherous  streams,  that  seemed  shal- 
low enough  in  crossing,  would  often,  in  some 
inexplicable   way,   reach   the   contents   of    the 

^  wagons. 

J  To  me  the  strangest  part  of  that  journey  was 
the  passing  over  so  much  territory  without  see- 
ing any  inhabitants.  El  Paso,  then  a  mining- 
town  of  very  slight  importance,  was  the  last  we 
saw  in  Texas.  If  there  were  others  in  that  sec- 
tion they  could  not  have  been  on  the  traveled 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  .  249 


highway ;  for  except  the  military  posts,  we  saw 
nothing  but  prairies,  which  were  indeed  a  strik- 
ing contrast  to  our  beautiful  mountains. 

We  had  all  sorts  of  experiences  before  New 
Mexico  was  left ;  but  after  that  we  settled  dowii 
to  calm  travel,  which  the  children  enjoyed  so 
much,  and  that  was  rendered  less  monotonous 
to  me  by  the  daily  use  of  a  fine  saddle  horse, 
and  a  delightful  gallop  over  tufted  grass. 

We  remained  at  Mesilla  and  Las  Crudes  long 
enough  to  enjoy  a  ball  given  in  our  honor 
by  the  residents ;  and  there,  for  the  first  time, 
we  saw  really  beautiful  Mexican  women,  who 
danced  with  all  the  grace  for  which  the  Spanish 
race  is  noted.  We  were  obliged  to  hasten  our 
departure,  because  the  soldiers  celebrated  Christ- 
mas too  freely;  during  the  ball  a  perfect  battle 
was  raging  outside,  which  compelled  the  officers 
to  break  camp  and  resume  the  march  before 
daylight,  leaving  us  to  follow. 

Those  old  towns  of  Mesilla  and  Las  Cruges 
would  surprise  any  one  from  the  East.  They 
are  situated  on  the  Rio  Grande,  and  surrounded 


250  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

by  dense  and  forbidding  sand-hills;  but  the  lo- 
cation being  such  that  much  irrigation  is  practi- 
cable, are  simply  the  most  fruitful  imaginable 
places.  I  have  never  anywhere  else  seen  such 
absolute  abundance  of  fruit  in  its  season ; 
grapes  such  as  only  a  southern  sun  can  ripen, 
and  in  immense  clusters;  peaches,  large  and 
luscious,  that  loaded  the  trees  till  it  seemed  im- 
possible they  could  bear  the  burden  and  live ; 
apricots,  and  every  species  of  small  fruits.  The 
same  luxuriance  prevails  in  El  Paso,  and  the 
wine  made  there  is  pure  and  delicious. 

It  seems  needless  to  dwell  at  very  great  length 
on  that  journey  into  Texas,  for  all  those  marches 
were  so  monotonously  alike.  If,  as  in  that  case, 
no  Indian  dangers  were  to  be  feared,  both  on 
account  of  our  cavalry  escort,  and  because  at 
that  time  no  active  Indian  warfare  was  in  pro- 
gress, we  were  not  allowed  to  forget  the  possibili- 
ties in  that  line.  Not  only  were  the  usual  sad 
reminders  present  in  graves  that  bestrewed 
the  country,  but  we  encamped  again  and  again 
in  places  where  the  most  violent  outrages  had 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  251 

been  perpetrated,  and  entire  parties  mercilessly 
slaughtered.  It  cast  a  sad  shadow  over  our 
resting-places,  which  shrinking  women  would 
fain  have  escaped ;  but  we  were  obliged  to  use 
the  same  old  accustomed  grounds,  and  even 
then  could  not  always  find  enough  water  for 
the  hoi-ses  and  mules. 

That  journey  was  on  a  progressive  scale ;  and 
guided  by  previous  experiences  we  had  taken 
two  wall  tents,  and  even  a  board  floor  for  the 
outer  one  in  which  we  dined.  It  was  quite 
envied  by  other  ladies,  particularly  when  we 
had  ten  consecutive  days  of  rain;  for  boards, 
even  if  laid  on  wet  ground  inside  a  tent,  make 
a  flooring  quite  different  and  much  superior  to 
mud.  Our  floor  was,  of  course,  in  sections,  oth- 
erwise it  could  not  have  been  carried.  Skins 
covered  the  earth  in  our  inner  tent,  which  was 
furnished  with  two  large  beds. 

A  fire  was  lighted  every  night  in  our  tiny 
stove,  and  I  made  chocolate,  custards,  and  many 
other  dainties.  It  would  surprise  Eastern  peo- 
ple, who  deem  all  the  modern  conveniences  a 


252  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

necessity,  to  see  how  systematic  even  such  a 
mode  of  life  can  be,  when,  knowing  it  is  to  last 
for  weeks  and  months,  proper  preparations  have 
been  made. 

On  leaving  home  we  had  taken  the  house- 
keeping supplies  that  would  have  been,  used 
had  we  remained  stationary.  So,  when  en- 
camped in,  different  military  posts,  at  which 
we  always  remained  several  days,  I  occupied 
the  time  in  making  mince-pies  and  baking 
them  in  a  Dutch  oven,  which  is  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  a  broad  and  shallow  iron  pot,  with 
a  cover  like  a  frying-pan.  On  this  cover  hot 
coals  are  laid,  so  when  the  utensil  is  placed 
over  a  bed  of  the  same,  uniform  heat  from 
above  and  beneath  bakes  admirably. 

It  was  a  time  of  rejoicing  when  we  could 
remain  long  enough  at  a  post  to  straighten  out 
the  tangled  ends  continuous  travel  always  pro- 
duces. Journeying  in  that  way  with  women 
and  children  necessitated  laundry  work;  and 
when  we  encamped  on  the  river  bank  the  scene 
was  animated. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  253 


Again  our  route  lay  for  days  beside  the  Rio 
Grande ;  in  fact,  during  our  entire  journey  we 
left  it  only  to  make  a  dStour  and  return.  When 
finally  our  destination,  distant  Fort  Clark,  was 
reached,  we  were  but  forty  miles  from  that 
famous  river,  and  nearly  the  entire  regiment 
was  to  find  a  resting-place  on  its  banks ;  for  soon 
our  encampments  were  dispersed  from  Eagle 
Pass,  on  the  river,  to  Matamoras,  six  hundred 
miles  below,  at  its  mouth. 
"  We  heard  so  many  wearisome  accounts  of 
those  lower  camps,  with  their  continuous  heat 
and  glare,  as  to  deem  ourselves  fortunate  in 
being  permitted  to  remain  at  one  situated  on  a 
high  hill,  where  we  would  be  sure  of  a  breeze, 
however  warm  the  Texas  summer  nights  might 
prove. 

A  large  ball  was  given  on  our  arrival,  and 
the  different  posts  at  which  we  had  stopped  en 
route  —  Forts  Bliss,  Davis,  and  Stockton  —  had 
all  honored  us  in  the  same  way. 

We  were  obliged  to  remain  in  camp  at  Fort 
Clark  ten  days,  as  the  Ninth  Cavalry  did  not 


254  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

leave  sooner  for  New  Mexico,  and  consequently 
houses  were  not  vacated.  Never  did  the  same 
length  of  time  seem  longer  or  more  tedious,  the 
shelter  of  a  roof  once  again  was  so  longed  for. 
Finally  we  moved  into  a  very  comfortable  little 
house,  built  of  limestone,  and  charming  as  to 
exterior;  for  even  in  the  month  of  February 
vines  were  growing  rapidly,  and  beginning  to 
cover  verandas  with  beautiful  green. 

If  each  woman  who  has  lived  at  Fort  Clark 
would  give  a  chapter  of  her  experiences  while 
there,  I  know  people  would  be  interested  be- 
cause of  the  utter  novelty. 

No  other  army  post  has  ever  been  the  scene 
of  so  constant  a  succession  of  regimental  changes, 
and  at  no  other  have  such  a  large  number  of  peo- 
ple, for  the  same  reason,  been  made  so  uncom- 
fortable. However  little  there  might  have  been 
to  expect  in  all  the  other  territories  in  which 
we  had  lived,  that  little,  when  once  obtained, 
was  kept;  but  at  Clark  no  one  seemed  sure, 
from  day  to  day,  of  any  house  in  which  he 
lived  remaining  his  own  for  a  length  of  time. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  255 


This  arose  partly  from  the  fact  of  there  being 
an  insufficient  number  of  quarters,  but  mainly 
from  the  position  of  the  post  being  such  that 
troops  were  sent  there  to  be  held  in  readiness 
for  any  emergency  —  which  was  generally  sup- 
posed to  be  impending  war  with  Mexico. 

We  were  so  near  the  border  that  whenever 
any  marauding  band  of  Indians  or  horse-thieves 
succeeded  in  capturing  a  herd  of  cattle  from 
some  neighboring  ranch,  they  would  coolly  slip 
over  the  Rio  Grande  into  Mexico  with  their 
booty ;  and  by  the  time  our  troops,  again  and 
again  called  out,  could  overtake  them,  the 
marauders  would  have  crossed  the  border, 
where  capture  was  impossible,  because  Mexico 
allowed  no  American  forces  to  enter  her  terri- 
tory without  special  permission. 

Matters  continued  on  that  basis  for  years,  in- 
furiating our  troops,  who  were  delighted  when 
it  produced  results  that  seemed  likely  to  cul- 
minate in  a  war  between  the  two  countries. 

But  that  never  occurred,  though  its  threaten- 
ings  filled  our  post  with  troops  until  they  formed 


256  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

a  little  army,  which  when  mustered  in  full 
parade  stretched  in  double  columns  across  the 
immense  parade  ground,  and  made  a  beautiful 
sight;  one  which,  seen  daily,  was  so  pleasing 
that  we  almost  forgot  the  discomforts  of  life 
that  surrounded  us. 

Our  first  home,  a  pretty  little  house  with 
double  parlors  on  the  ground  floor  and  two  large 
bedrooms  above,  seemed  delightful ;  though  we 
had  no  furnishings  for  months,  and  simply 
used  our  camp  equipage,  until  carpets,  etc., 
could  be  sent  for.  The  climate  was  so  fearfully 
hot,  bare  floors  were  no  hardship ;  and  during 
the  long  summer  which  followed  our  arrival,  I 
was  so  absorbed  in  the  problem  of  how  to  live 
at  all,  that  the  absence  of  luxuries  was  un- 
heeded. 

Leaving  the  bright  and  bracing  climate  of 
New  Mexico  for  a  country  where  one  hundred 
and  ten  degrees  in  the  shade  was  only  to  be  ex- 
pected, and  for  six  months  of  the  year,  was  in- 
deed a  transition.  Ice  was  an  unknown  luxury. 
We  had  nothing  to  use  for  cooling  purposes 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  257 


except  the  ollas^  made  of  porous  earth  by  Mex- 
icans. 

The  post  was  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
miles  from  San  Antonio,  the  nearest  point  where 
anything  except  absolute  essentials  could  be 
obtained  ;  and  as  stages  were  the  only  means  of 
transportation,  charges  of  course  were  exorbi- 
tant. Even  in  San  Antonio  there  was  none  but 
manufactured  ice ;  and  to  transport  it  such  a 
distance  in  so  warm  a  climate,  required  not 
only  much  sawdust  to  prevent  its  melting,  but 
also  a  heavy  box,  all  of  which  multiplied  its 
weight,  and  the  express  charges,  as  I  found  to 
my  sorrow. 

I  never  indulged  in  such  luxuries;  but  an 
officer,  who  considered  himself  indebted  for 
kindnesses  extended  during  a  severe  attack  of 
malarial  fever,  was  most  anxious  to  show  hie 
gratitude ;  and  when  I,  in  turn,  succumbed  to 
the  fever,  that  was  epidemic,  he  sent  me  three 
boxes  of  ice.  I  accepted  the  gift,  though,  not 
caring  for  the  ice,  dispatched  it  to  the  hospital. 
Some  months  afterward  we  received  a  bill  from 


258  CAY'ALRY  LIFE. 

the  express  office  which  amounted  to  eighteen 
dollars.  It  was  the  charges  on  that  ice  —  which 
we  paid.  The  ice  having  been  sent  direct  to 
us,  so  was  the  bill,  instead  of  being  presented 
to  our  kind  friend  who  never  imagined  the 
sequel. 

After  our  bountiful  supply  of  good  things  in 
Bayard,  we  nearly  starved  in  Texas.  The  but- 
ter was  simply  oil,  if  procurable  at  all ;  the  milk 
thin  —  not  tasteless,  but  with  a  decidedly  disa- 
greeable flavor  of  wild  garlic  and  onions ;  and 
the  beef  dry,  and  with  so  strange  a  flavor  we 
could  not  eat  it.  Vegetables  could  not  be  pro- 
cured; and  potatoes  shipped  from  a  distance 
were  a  mass  of  decay  when  received.  I  never 
knew  a  woman  who,  amid  all  those  conditions 
of  improper  and  insufficient  food  and  severe 
heat,  did  not  lose  health  and  strength. 

For  two  years  I  re-lived  all  my  former  expe- 
riences in  trying  to  keep  house  under  every  dis- 
advantage. 

We  had  hoped  much  from  the  accounts  of 
famous  colored  cooks,  who,  in  our  experience, 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  259 

proved  delusions  and  snares.  We  had  a  suc- 
cession so  worthless  that  I  never  have  over- 
come my  prejudice  against  them.  They  must 
have  been  field-hands,  who  trusting  to  our 
Northern  ignorance  boldly  announced  them- 
selves as  cooks,  when  perhaps  they  had  never 
cooked  even  one  simple  meal  before.  Each  was 
succeeded  by  a  worse  specimen,  until  finally,  in 
despair,  I  begged  for  a  soldier.  After  that, 
housekeeping  became  once  again  a  pleasure, 
even  if  under  difficulties ;  for  I  had  a  will- 
ing coadjutor,  who  joined  heartily  in  my  plans 
to  disguise  the  flavor  of  meats  by  every  art  we 
could  devise  in  the  way  of  seasoning. 

When  the  long,  hot  summer  had  worn  its 
weary  six  months  away,  we  began  to  again 
breathe  freely,  and  with  the  advent  of  cooler 
weather  found  ourselves  able  to  enjoy  every 
pleasure.  The  heat  had  been  so  intense  that 
during  its  continuance  life  had  been  simply  en- 
dured. Then  everything  brightened  and  im- 
proved, as  it  always  does  with  custom  or  habit ; 
or  rather,  we  knew  better  how  to  overcome  dif- 


260  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


ficulties  as  time  and  experience  familiarized  us 
with  them. 

In  the  winter  we  not  only  had  better  beef, 
because  of  the  grass  which  had  grown  during 
summer,  so  the  cattle  were  not  obliged  to  eat 
weeds  and  vegetables,  but,  for  the  same  reason, 
our  milk  improved  in  flavor;  butter  also  kept 
its  consistency. 

The  experience  of  a  little  bride  on  whom  I 
called  one  summer  evening  will  perhaps  better 
illustrate  the  difficulties  of  housekeeping.  In 
reply  to  my  inquiry  if  she  did  not  find  the  en- 
forced idleness  because  of  heat  tiresome,  she 
said : 

"  I  am  never  idle,  because  my  entire  time  is 
occupied  in  keeping  wet  clothes  around  the 
jars  that  contain  our  milk  and  butter." 

In  that  atmosphere  of  heat,  devoid  of  damp- 
ness, no  sooner  was  a  wet  cloth  wrapped  about 
a  jar  than  it  began  to  dry,  and  evapoi-ation 
cooled  the  contents.  If  in  addition  the  jar 
was  placed  in  a  draught,  great  results  in  that 
line  were  attained,  but  at  the  expense  of  con- 
stant attention. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  261 

One  reason  that  made  our  army  life  endura- 
ble Avas  the  constant  exchange  of  grievances, 
and  our  real  sympathy  one  for  the  other.  A 
group  of  ladies  would  naturally  fall  into  con- 
versation regarding  the  peculiar  trials  of  such  a 
life,  and  yet  not  one  of  them  could  have  been 
persuaded  to  leave  her  husband  and  seek  more 
comfortable  and  civilized  surroundings. 

Fort  Clark  eventually  became  very  dear  to 
me;  but  the  first  two  years  were  exceedingly 
trying,  for  I  had  to  accustom  myself  anew  to 
fresh  modes  in  every  direction.  The  peculiari- 
ties of  our  colored  servants  would  fill  a  volume. 


262  CAVALBY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

It  took  our  first  colored  cook,  a  huge,  strap- 
ping creature,  who  seemed  a  very  giant  in 
strength  and  stature,  three  days  to  scrub  our 
tiny  kitchen  floor ;  and  his  ideas,  one  of  which 
was  that  he  should  sleep  until  nine  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  nor  did  he  awaken  then  unless 
called,  were  not  to  be  changed  to  suit  our 
convenience. 

I  remember  so  well  our  first  breakfast !  Rice 
batter  cakes  had  been  ordered ;  but  the  strangest 
looking  and  queerest  tasting  dish  was  produced, 
which,  when  questioned,  the  cook  admitted  was 
simply  rice  and  molasses  mixed  together  and 
fried  in  much  grease. 

Our  last  colored  cook  was  so  surly  I  was 
afraid  of  him,  and  rejoiced  when  he  was  finally 
replaced  by  a  white  man.     On  leaving  us  he 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  263 

moved  to  the  little  town  of  Brackett,  and  after 
only  a  few  days  had  passed,  murdered  a  woman, 
and  to  hide  his  guilt  burned  the  house.  Cir- 
cumstantial evidence  was  so  strong  that  he  was 
captured  and  imprisoned  in  the  little  jail,  which, 
constructed  of  heavy  stone,  was  the  only  decent 
building  in  town.  The  murdered  woman  had 
been  the  widow  of  a  white  soldier,  and  his  com- 
rades-in-arms determined  to  avenge  her.  So, 
one  night,  under  cover  of  the  darkness,  a  num- 
ber stormed  the  jail.  Though  well  guarded, 
and  the  thick  doors  seemingly  impregnable, 
they  effected  an  entrance. 

Meantime  tlie  garrison  was  greatly  alarmed, 
for  the  town  was  so  near  we  could  hear  the 
firing  and  tumult.  The  ladies  were  doubly 
frightened,  because  each  one's  husband  had 
been  summoned  to  march  at  the  head  of  his 
troops  and  quell  the  disturbance. 

All  were  terrified,  scarcely  knowing  what 
had  happened,  and  the  volume  of  sound  that 
reached  our  ears  made  us  dread  untold  dangers. 
We  were  frightened  at  having  been  left  alone, 


264  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

and  more  alarmed  for  our  husbands,  because,  in 
the»promiscuous  firing  which  began  the  moment 
tlie  troops  reached  town,  we  knew  not  what 
shot  had  or  might  hit  one  of  them. 

Altogether  we  were  panic-stricken,  and  mo- 
ments seemed  hours  until  the  troops  returned, 
which  they  did  very  soon,  and  without  a  single 
officer  or  soldier  having  been  injured,  although 
the  shots  were  numerous  enough  to  have  killed 
an  army. 

The  jail  had  been  forced  before  the  arrival 
of  the  troops ;  but  the  soldiers,  though  care- 
fully searching  every  cell,  had  been  unable  to 
find  the  prisoner,  and,  after  vowing  vengeance 
on  the  authorities  for  having  removed  him, 
assembled  outside,  where  they  vented  their 
wrath  and  disappointment  by  firing  against 
the  heavy  stone  building.  When  the  cavalry 
reached  the  scene,  and  in  their  turn  began  to 
fire,  every  man  disappeared,  escaping  under 
cover  of  the  darkness  and  confusion,  and  found 
his  way  back  to  the  fort,  where  at  roll-call 
all  answered  to  their  names  as  innocently  as 
possible.  __ 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  265 


The  officers  were  inclined  to  condone  the 
offense,  both  from  sympathy  with  the  murdered 
woman's  friends,  and  also  because  the  mur- 
derer was  such  a  despicable  coward,  as  was 
proved  not  only  by  his  taking  a  woman's  life, 
but  also  in  his  behavior  afterward. 

The  first  officer  who  entered  the  jail  was  Mr. 
Boyd,  who  was  at  once  told  by  the  sheriff  that 
the  murderer  was  secreted  on  its  roof,  which, 
unknown  to  outsiders,  had  a  stone  coping  six 
feet  hiofh  that  well  concealed  him.  A  more 
pitiable  object  was  never  seen;  for  expecting 
every  moment  would  be  his  last  he  was  pray- 
ing and  groaning  in  true  darkey  fashion,  and 
had  the  tumult  outside  been  less  would  have 
been  quickly  discovered. 

Mr.  Boyd  tried  to  calm  him,  but  it  was  use- 

J  less ;  the  man  was  so  thoroughly  frightened  he 

'  could  not  be  silenced,  but  kept  calling  on  the 

good  Lord  for  protection,  and  throwing  himself 

about  with  the  most  grotesque  contortions  of 

face  and  figure. 

The  sequel  pro\pd  the  soldiers  to  have  been 


266  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

right  in  not  trusting  to  the  course  of  law,  for 
in  Texas  no  crime  but  that  of  horse-stealing  is 
considered  deserving  of  hanging ;  the  murderer 
was  only  imprisoned,  but  fortunately  for  him- 
self was  taken  to  anotlier  county. 

On  this  occasion  Mr.  Boyd  interviewed  a 
murderer  to  whose  tender  mercies  his  own 
family  had  been  exposed,  and  after  that  I  was 
allowed  to  have  a  white  cook ;  for  although 
they  sometimes  indulged  in  dissipation,  colored 
men  and  women  did  the  same,  and  there  is  no 
such  fear  known  on  earth  as  that  a  woman 
experiences  when  confronted  by  a  drunken 
negro. 

The  cavalry  stationed  at  Fort  Clark  previous 
to  our  arrival  had  been  colored,  though  the 
infantry,  which  composed  half  the  post,  was 
white. 

Never  having  been  South  before,  we  had  much 
to  learn  before  a  home  feeling  was  possible. 
The  level  country  seemed  strange  after  having 
lived  among  lovely  mountains,  and  we  had  a 
new  set  of  insects  to  deal  with.     I  had  thought 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  267 


nothing  could  be  worse  than  my  first  enemies, 
the  wasps,  but  soon  found  the  immense  roaches 
with  which  our  house  was  actually  crammed 
much  more  disagreeable.  They  not  only  cov- 
ered the  kitchen  floor  until  it  was  black,  but 
actually  flew  around  our  heads,  and  even  in- 
vaded the  bedi'ooms  up-stairs  until  life  seemed 
intolerable.  A  thorough  system  of  cleaning  and 
scrubbing  was  instituted ;  for  they  love  dirt, 
which  was,  in  fact,  the  original  cause  of  such  an 
undue  supply.  We  tried  borax  and  all  other 
known  remedies,  and  in  time  greatly  lessened 
their  numbers. 

A  picnic  in  Texas  was  simply  impossible  on 
account  of  the  red  bugs  and  wood-ticks,  which 
were  not  only  countless  and  disagreeable,  but 
so  poisonous  that  I  knew  an  officer,  who  had 
been  obliged  to  camp  out  on  the  ground,  suffer 
so  severely  from  their  attentions  that  hospital 
treatment  was  necessary  for  weeks.  The  sores 
caused  by  these  insects  are  frequently  very 
painful,  because  they  bury  themselves  beneath 
the  skin,  and  actually  have  to  be  dug  out. 


268  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

The  larger  vermin,  scorpions,  tarantulas,  cen- 
tipeds,  and  snakes  I  did  not  mind ;  for  they 
never  molested  us,  and,  like  the  really  weighty 
trials  of  life,  were  more  easily  endured  than 
minor  ones.  I  speak  from  actual  experience, 
having  lived  out  of  doors  during  our  five  years 
residence  in  Texas,  and  allowed  my  children  to 
enjoy  themselves  in  the  same  way,  both  because 
I  deemed  it  necessary  to  health,  and  because 
observation  had  convinced  me  that  those  ladies 
who  did  otherwise  suffered  indescribably  from 
fear ;  while  to  us,  after  we  had  settled  down, 
every  moment  was  a  joy  in  spite  of  heat  and 
vermin. 

One  evening  a  lady  caller  started  franti- 
cally for  the  door  immediately  after  having 
entered.  The  cause  of  her  terror  was  a  huge 
'  tarantula  or  spider  of  the  most  deadly  sort, 
black,  ugly,  and  venomous,  which  measured 
fully  three  inches  around  the  body.  I  picked 
up  a  heavy  basket  and  killed  it.  She  called 
me  very  brave ;  but  I  thought  greater  bravery 
would  have  been  required  to  permit  it  to  live, 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  269 

when  perhaps  it  might  bite  one  of  my  chil- 
dren. 

Our  first  winter  at  Fort  Clark  was  delightful. 
All  had  comfortable  double  houses ;  and  I  felt 
very  proud  because  of  the  bright,  pretty  carpets 
and  lace  curtains  that  had  been  sent  from  the 
East.  The  troops  were  called  out  only  occa- 
sionally for  Indian  raids,  but  never  went  farther 
than  the  river  which  divides  Texas  from 
Mexico. 

We  enjoyed  the  game,  which  was  so  plentiful 
that  delicious  wild  turkey  could  be  enjoyed 
every  day  if  desired.  The  one  vegetable  that 
grew  almost  spontaneously  was  sweet  potato, 
which  we  luxuriated  in  for  months,  as  it  im- 
proved by  keeping. 

I  scoured  the  country  on  horseback  in  all 
directions,  and  found  a  rare  charm  in  those 
boundless  prairies,  carpeted  with  gray  grass  so 
thick  the  horse's  hoofs  sank  far  out  of  sight, 
which  made  the  pace  an  exhilarating  bound. 
A  stream,  which  rose  from  the  clear  spring  that 
supplied  us  with  water,  flowed  for  miles  amid 


270  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

groves  of  wild  oak  and  pecan  trees  which  it  was 
my  delight  to  explore. 

We  hunted  jack  rabbits  a  good  deal.  They 
were  so  numerous  as  to  destroy  all  hopes  of  the 
gardens  in  which  the  early  freshets  had  allowed 
us  to  indulge.  A  lady  just  from  the  East  w^as 
appalled  when  I  said  that  each  small  head  of 
cabbage  cost  a  dollar,  and  was  really  worth  it; 
for  the  man  who  had  sufficient  enterprise  to 
evade  rabbits,  and  build  walls  against  freshets, 
must  also  examine  each  cabbage  leaf  three  times 
a  day  in  order  to  destroy  the  ever  encroaching 
worm  or  bug.  This  will  not  seem  exaggerated 
to  any  one  who  has  ever  gardened  under  similar 
conditions. 

Our  little  streams  were  beautiful,  and  so  well 
stocked  with  delicious  bass  and  trout  that  the 
children  used  to  beg  to  picnic :  after  a  day  thus 
spent,  it  would  take  hours  of  diligent  search  to 
find  the  dozens  of  wood-ticks  and  tiny  red 
insects  which  covered  their  clothing  and  buried 
themselves  in  their  tender  flesh.  Sometimes 
one   would  escape    notice,    and  be    afterward 


CAVALRY  LIFE,  271 

found  with  head  imbedded  beneath  the  skin, 
and  body  distended  to  treble  its  original  size. 

Those  torments  made  scouting  in  Texas  a 
thing  to  be  dreaded;  and  yet,  after  the  first 
year  of  quiet,  our  cavalry  were  kept  in  the  field 
nine  months  out  of  twelve.  Though  encamped 
most  of  the  time  on  the  banks  of  a  stream  only 
seven  miles  distant,  yet  none  the  less  they  were 
separated  from  us,  and  as  the  officers'  wives 
said,  "  Compelled  us  to  keep  up  two  messes, 
and  incur  great  expense,  besides  being  lonely 
and  forlorn." 

The  sun's  scorching  heat  made  it  impossible 
to  raise  any  flowers,  for  if  plants  grew  and 
budded  the  fierce  heat  would  burn  the  outer 
petals  so  blossoms  never  fully  opened.  Only 
one  plant,  the  Madeira  vine,  throve  there,  and 
it  was  esteemed  a  special  luxury ;  for  as  the 
post  was  located  on  a  high  limestone  ridge,  and 
the  houses  were  built  of  limestone,  the  white 
glare  was  something  to  be  dreaded.  Those  luxu- 
riant green  vines  covered  our  porches  so  closely 
as  to  form  perfect  little  arbors,  and  enabled  us 


272  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

to  enjoy  out-of-door  life.  At  least  two  ham- 
mocks were  swung  oh  every  veranda,  and  they 
were  occupied  most  of  the  time,  for  the  air  was 
so  hot  and  lifeless  that  effort  was  impossible. 

Only  one  of  the  five  summers  we  passed  at 
Fort  Clark  was  cool  and  comfortable.  That 
year  the  rainy  season  commenced  late  and 
lasted  throughout  the  summer.  The  other  four 
were  so  fearfully  hot  and  uncomfortable  that 
we  were  much  exhausted  when  cooler  weather 
arrived. 

Nevertheless,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  after 
we  had  once  become  accustomed  to  the  life  and 
that  routine  which  alone  makes  existence  in 
warm  countries  endurable,  we  were  satisfied. 

During  the  day  our  costumes  were  the  light- 
est and  airiest  that  could  be  devised.  But  when 
evening  came  —  and  no  woman  ever  ventured 
out-of-doors  until  after  sunset  —  we  arrayed 
ourselves  in  pretty  white  dresses,  and  started 
forth  to  enjoy  the  breeze,  whose  never-failing, 
grateful  presence  was  compensation  for  the 
day's  intense  heat. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  273 

In  that  clear  atmosphere  the  tiniest  arc  of 
a  moon  gives  more  light  than  does  a  full 
one  under  other  conditions ;  so  by  the  time  its 
greatest  splendor  was  reached,  nothing  on  earth 
could  have  surpassed  the  perfect  beauty  of 
those  southern  nights.  The  air  was  soft  and 
balmy,  and  every  one  rejoiced  to  find  respite 
from  the  sun's  extreme  heat.  Indeed,  the 
change  was  so  grateful  that  we  fell  into  a  habit 
of  almost  turning  night  into  day  in  our  unwill- 
ingness to  leave  a  scene  of  such  enchantment. 

Even  our  unsheltered,  gray  parade-ground, 
on  which  grass  absolutely  refused  to  grow,  was 
softened  by  the  moon's  mellow  rays  into  a  sem- 
blance of  all  we  desired  it  to  be ;  and  when, 
night  after  night,  our  gloriovs.  band  played  en- 
trancing strains  of  sweet  music  on  the  luminous 
spot,  we  felt  that  life  in  the  tropics  was  not  so 
very  unendurable  after  all. 

Our  limestone  houses,  which  in  the  daytime 
could  not  be  looked  upon  because  of  the  blind- 
ing glare,  were  toned  by  the  moon's  magic  in- 
fluence into  poetic  beauty,  with  their  shading 


274  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

vines  and  groups  of  daint}^  ladies  in  white,  and 
gallant  officers  in  uniform. 

I  became  wedded,  heart  and  soul,  to  that  part 
of  our  life,  which  made  me  quite  willing  to  live 
and  die  in  Texas,  despite  many  more  prosaic 
drawbacks. 


CAVALRY  LIFE,  275 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

That  unpleasant  features  were  there  is  not, 
however,  to  be  denied;  and  as  my  aim  is  to 
present  both  the  lights  and  shadows  of  army 
life,  I  will  now  describe  a  few  of  the  latter. 

As  before  stated,  the  supposed  impending 
war  with  Mexico  was  the  occasion  of  an  influx 
of  troops  far  greater  than  our  post  could  com- 
fortably accommodate.  After  we  had  been  at 
Fort  Clark  a  year  and  a  half,  occupying  that 
pretty,  vine-embowered  house,  Ave  learned  that 
our  garrison  of  ten  companies  was  to  be  in- 
creased to  twenty-five,  with  two  headquarters 
and  two  bands. 

The  custom  that  obtains  throughout  the 
army  of  each  officer  selecting  according  to  his 
rank  the  quarters  which  he  may  prefer,  was 
never  more  fully  enforced  than  at  Fort  Clark. 


276  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

Fifty  times,  perhaps,  there  was  a  general  move 
of  at  least  ten  families,  because  some  officer  had 
arrived  who,  in  selecting  a  house,  caused  a 
dozen  other  officers  to  move,  for  each  in  turn 
chose  the  one  then  occupied  by  the  next  lower 
in  rank.  We  used  to  call  it  ''bricks  falling," 
because  each  toppled  that  next  in  order  over; 
but  the  annoyance  was  endured  with  great  good 
nature. 

When  tidings  of  such  an  unusual  expected 
influx  reached  our  ears,  Ave  wondered  what 
would  become  of  us,  as  there  were  not  accommo- 
dations for  half  the  number  who  were  to  arrive. 
An  onlooker  would  doubtless  have  found  the 
anxiety  experienced  by  the  officers'  wives  amus- 
ing'; for  though  prepared  for  the  worst  we  were, 
of  course,  solicitous. 

I  was  ill  at  the  time,  confined  to  my  room ; 
and  messages  were  brought  at  intervals  from 
six  different  officers,  who  all  outranked  Mr. 
Boyd,  that  each  had  selected  our  house.  Ridic- 
ulous as  it  may  seem,  every  one  was  outranked 
by  another.    Finally,  a  captain  of  infantry  chose 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  277 

our  quarters,  and  then  the  doctor  declared  I 
couUl  not  be  moved ;  consequently,  the  captain 
went  temporarily  into  the  house  which  we  were 
eventually  compelled  to  occupy. 

Next  day  our  third  child  and  second  son  was 
born.  During  the  entire  time  of  my  recovery  I 
indulged  a  delusive  hope  that  the  officer  who 
liad  chosen  our  home  would  be  content  to  re- 
-main  in  the  little  house  he  was  then  occupying, 
and  which  I  dreaded  to  think  of  living  in  be- 
cause it  was  so  small  for  our  increased  family. 
Delusive  hope  !  built  entirely  upon  my  belief  in, 
or  knowledge  of,  our  respective  needs.  I  felt 
that  a  bachelor  could  live  less  inconveniently  in 
one  room  than  could  a  family  of  five. 

The  very  day  our  baby  was  born  the  little 
fellow  contracted  whooping-cough  from  his  sis- 
ter, who,  charmed  to  welcome  a  new  brother, 
had  repeatedly  kissed  him.  I  had  no  idea  such 
a  disease  was  in  the  garrison,  and  when  we 
learned  of  it  the  harm  had  been  done.  Not 
only  did  all  three  of  our  children  suffer  in  the 
most  pronounced  fashion,  but  it  was  pitiable  to 


278  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

see  and  hear  that  tiny  baby  coughing  violently 
before  he  was  two  weeks  old.  He  would  turn 
so  black  in  the  face,  perhaps  a  hundred  times  a 
day,  that  his  nurse  hardly  dared  close  her  eyes, 
as  it  would  be  necessary  to  raise  the  infant  to  a 
perfectly  erect  posture  to  prevent  his  stran- 
gling. 

In  spite  of  baby's  sufferings  he  never  lost 
flesh,  which  the  doctor  said  was  marvelous, 
for  my  neighbors  declared  they  could  hear  him 
cough  a  hundred  yards  away.  Our  anxiety  was 
great,  and  Mr.  Boyd  was  a  veritable  slave. 

For  a  week  I  was  at  death's  door  with  fever ; 
and  yet  the  very  day  baby  was  four  weeks  old 
we  were  obliged  to  move,  that  the  captain, 
who  demanded  his  house  without  further  delay, 
might  be  accommodated.  Each  of  the  children 
caught  cold,  and  bronchitis  was  added  to  whoop- 
ing-cough ;  in  consequence  of  which,  during  that 
and  the  succeeding  winter,  I  always  slept  with 
one  hand  under  baby's  head,  in  order  to  raise 
him  suddenly  when  attacked  by  those  terrible 
fits  of  coughing. 


CAVALBY  LIFE.  279 


When  I  state  that  our  new  house  consisted  of 
but  one  room,  with  a  tiny  addition  back  which 
was  quite  uninhabitable,  and  that  we  lived  in 
such  quarters  for  two  long  summers  and  win- 
ters, it  will  scarcely  be  believed.  But  even 
those  meager  accommodations  were  not  deemed 
a  very  severe  hardship  by  many  of  the  ladies 
who  had  been  at  Fort  Clark  for  years  before  the 
new  quarters  had  been  built,  and  Avho  told  tales 
of  far  greater  crowding. 

Among  others,  the  case  of  a  little  bride  was 
cited,  who,  coming  from  a  luxurious  Eastern 
home,  had  been  glad  to  fmd  quartei-s  in  a  hall- 
way between  two  other  families.  One  morning 
her  husband  was  told  that  some  superior  officer 
wanted  his  hall,  and  disgusted  he  resigned. 

The  recital  of  many  such  absolutely  true  tales 
might,  perhaps,  have  comforted  me  in  some 
measure,  had  we  not  already  endured  ten  long 
years  of  hardships  ;  and  it  seemed  as  if  the 
time  should  have  come  when  length  of  service 
counted  for  something. 

But  it  never  does  in   the  army,  as  possibly 


280  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

only  those  know  who  have  realized  the  fact 
through  actual  experience.  There  one  must 
endure  all  discomforts  as  uncomplainingly  as 
possible,  and  meekly  relinquish  the  refinements 
of  life,  which  such  a  mode  of  living  absolutely 
forbids.  For  a  family  of  five  to  live  in  one 
room  through  two  fearfully  warm  summers  and 
two  winters  was  far  from  pleasant ;  and  in 
order  to  relieve  ourselves  of  discomforts  so  far 
as  was  possible,  we  remained  out-doors  on  our 
pleasant  porch  nearly  all  the  time. 

The  winters  were  delightful  in  that  part  of 
Texas,  and  yet  very  trying.  The  only  really 
cold  weather  there  is  caused  by  the  "  northei-s," 
which  come  up  so  suddenly  as  to  render  it  out 
of  the  question  to  be  prepared  for  the  change. 
A  norther  is  always  preceded  by  a  very  sultry 
day ;  then  the  thermometer  falls  perhaps  fifty 
degrees  in  an  hour,  and  there  is  something  in 
the  chill  north  wind  which  seems  to  freeze  the 
very  blood  in  one's  veins.  When,  in  addition,  a 
rainstorm  follows,  it  is  little  wonder  that  the 
cattle  interests  of  Texas  suffer,  for  no  living 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  281 


creature  can  well  exist  in  sucli  an  atmosphere 
when  exposed. 

Our  little  back  room  faced  the  north,  so  we 
could  not  use  it  in  winter,  for  the  tiny  house, 
built  of  wood  with  a  canvas  ceiling,  was  then 
like  a  barn ;  and  it  was  so  old  that  in  summer 
the  canvas  and  woodwork  harbored  every  spe- 
cies of  vermin,  with  which  it  simply  became 
alive. 

I  was  awakened  one  night  by  the  raging  of  a 
violent  storm  that  seemed  to  shake  the  house 
to  its  foundations.  The  rain  descended  with 
such  force  that  I  expected  every  moment  the 
roof  would  fall  in.  A  glance  showed  me  water 
pouring  in  under  the  door  which  separated  the 
small  back  room  from  the  larger  one  in  which 
we  slept.  I  quickly  arose  and  stepped  into  the 
little  room  to  find  myself  literally  wading  in 
water  which  reached  above  ni}^  ankles.  The 
fierce  storm  had  beaten  in  the  old,  weather-worn 
roof,  and  through  a  large  hole  which  had  been 
forced  in  the  canvas  ceiling  a  stream  of  liquid 
mud   was    pouring   that    deluged    everything. 


282  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


The  opening  was  directly  over  an  open  bureau 
drawer,  the  contents  of  whicli  were  a  strange 
sight.  The  mud  was  formed  by  rain  falling  on 
the  accumulation  of  dirt  that  miserable  old 
canvas  held ;  and  before  the  storm  had  ceased 
our  possessions  were  worthless,  and  the  room, 
which  within  our  knowledge  never  had  been 
worthy  of  the  name,  was  still  less  so. 

Every  house  in  the  post  was  in  a  wretched 
condition  long  before  morning,  and  each  woman 
thought  that  her  individual  experience  could 
not  be  exceeded  in  misery. 

It  was  so  common  for  roofs  to  leak  and  plaster 
to  fall  that  we  expected  such  mishaps ;  but 
fortunately,  because  they  left  more  serious 
trouble  in  their  wake,  such  furious  storms  were 
not  frequent.  One  lady,  a  bride,  who  until  that 
night  had  seen  only  the  bright  side  of  army  life, 
decided  that  if  such  experiences  were  common 
she  did  not  care  to  become  accustomed  to  them ; 
so  one  result  in  that  instance  was  her  husband's 
resignation  from  the  army. 

A  large  double  bed  stood  in  one  corner  of  our 


CAVALBY  LIFE.  283 

only  room,  and  in  the  other  a  lounge  that 
could  be  used  for  the  children  at  night.  Over 
our  bed  I  swung  a  hammock,  which  served 
admirably  for  baby's  cradle,  and  as  an  economy 
of  space  it  was  a  great  success.  But  during 
warm  weather  the  porch,  as  already  stated,  was 
our  dwelling-place,  and  at  night  the  hammock 
suspended  there  was  frequently  occupied  by 
Mr.  Boyd ;  for  in  such  a  climate  to  sleep  with 
four  other  persons  in  one  small  room  was  not 
very  refreshing. 

We  were,  however,  very  gay  through  all  our 
miseries  and  deprivations;  for  with  seventy-five 
officers  and  forty  ladies  in  the  garrison  many 
pleasures  could  be  enjoyed.  During  the  first 
winter  we  had  a  series  of  balls  for  the  exchange 
of  regimental  courtesies.  Those  already  sta- 
tioned at  Fort  Clark  gave  a  large  ball  to  wel- 
come the  new-comers,  even  if  they  did  turn  us 
out  of  houses  and  homes,  which  courtesy  was 
returned  by  a  very  grand  affair.  Then  each  re- 
giment— six  were  represented,  two  of  them  col- 
ored—  extended  hospitalities  on  its  individual 


284  CAVALRY  LIFE, 

account,  and  each  vied  with  the  others  in  some- 
what varying  the  character  of  the  entertainment. 

Following  that,  the  bachelors  gave  a  large* 
german  where  the  favors  were  superb.  Then 
the  ladies  united  in  a  New  Year's  reception, 
which  was  said  to  surpass  all  the  rest.  After- 
ward we  had  weekly  hops,  a  masquerade  and 
phantom  pai'ty,  at  which  it  was  difficult  to  hide 
our  identity ;  for  in  a  garrison  where  every  per- 
sonal trait  was  necessarily  observed,  to  disguise 
one's  individuality  was  not  easy.  Probably  the 
officer  who  entered  the  room  encased  in  a  w-ell- 
stuffed  mattress  did  so  most  effectually. 

Studying  how  to  puzzle  the  rest  was  great 
fun.  So  many  amusements,  combined  with  the 
real  kindly  feeling  constantly  evinced,  made  our 
social  life  very  enjoyable.  Every  excuse  for 
pleasant  intercourse  was  freely  sought ;  and  so 
long  as  life  lasts  I  shall  remember  those  years 
at  Fort  Clark  as  not  only  joyous,  but  given  up 
to  experiences  so  distinctly  different  fi'om  all 
others  as  to  merit  perpetual  and  delightful 
recollection. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  285 

In  the  first  place,  every  one  lived  out-of-doors 
nine  months  of  the  year.  That  necessitated,  or 
made  more  easily  possible,  a  constant  inter- 
change of  friendly  remarks,  and  we  became 
more  like  one  large  family  than  like  strangers. 
Our  interests  were  identical.  If  any  change 
was  made,  it  affected  so  many  that  all  were 
drawn  together  by  that  "fellow  feeling  which 
makes  us  wondrous  kind." 

When  troops  were  ordered  away,  their  de- 
parture wg-s  dreaded  because  the  officers'  society 
would  be  greatly  missed.  If  new-comers  ar- 
rived, as  they  constantly  did,  we  welcomed 
them  cordially.  Every  time  an  inspecting 
officer  or  one  of  high  rank  came  to  Fort  Clark, 
as  frequently  happened,  we  rejoiced  in  the  op- 
portunity to  give  a  ball  in  his  honor,  and  the 
band  serenaded  him  each  night  of  his  sojourn ; 
in  fact,  nothing  was  lacking  that  would  prove 
our  hospitality  and  cordiality. 

Riding  and  driving  parties  were  indulged  in 
daily ;  for  fully  half  x)f  the  officers  stationed  at 
our  garrison  were  in  the  cavalry,  and  in  addi- 


286  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

tion  to  their  mounts  had  fine  carriages.  When 
the  cavalry  were  sent  to  graze  their  horses  near 
streams,  and  permanent  camps  were  thus  estab- 
lished, we  visited  them  frequently.  In  turn, 
they  combined  their  forces  and  gave  grand 
picnics,  which  were  so  successful  we  were  en- 
raptured. 

One  night  I  shall  never  forget.  The  moon 
shone  her  best  and  brightest  on  a  smooth  stretch 
of  canvas,  spread  so  as  to  form  a  splendid  dan- 
cing-floor, and  on  trees  hung  with  fairy  lanterns, 
which  extending  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach 
met  as  background  the  pretty  little  stream  on 
whose  banks  lovers  wandered.  Of  course,  in 
that  region  of  soft  tropic  warmth  and  fervor, 
romance  blended  with  everything ;  and  no  eli- 
gible young  lady  was  ever  known  to  leave  Fort 
Clark  without  a  tiny  circlet  on  her  finger, 
which  proved  her  right  to  return  as  an  officer's 
bride. 

Meantime,  rumors  of  war  kept .  increasing, 
and  finally  all  our  troops  were  marched  into  Mex- 
ico during  the  hottest  month  of  the  year.     This 


CAVALRY  LIFE,  287 


was,  however,  done  merely  as  a  menace ;  for  in 
a  week's  time  they  returned,  having  faced  the 
Mexicans  on  their  own  ground  without  even 
exchanging  shots.  Blistered  feet  and  swollen 
limbs,  gained  by  marching  through  parching 
sands,  were  the  only  reminders  of  the  affair 
brought  back. 

Soon  after,  Mexico  arranged  new  terms  with 
our  authorities,  in  accordance  with  which  in- 
cursions over  the  border  were  allowed  when  our 
troops  were  on  the  trail  of  desperate  adventur- 
ers who  were  escaping  with  much  booty.  This 
caused  the  withdrawal  from  Fort  Clark  of  the 
gallant  cavalry  regiment,  which  with  our  own 
had  hoped  to  reap  a  little  glory  from  the  strained 
relations  between  our  country  and  her  sister 
republic. 

Courtesies  were  exchanged  between  leading 
officers  in  the  Mexican  and  American  armies, 
whicrh  we  shared  in  by  giving  a  grand  ball  to 
the  general  and  staff  of  the  Mexican  army  on 
their  visit  to  our  post  while  negotiating  terms 
of  peace.     Our  third  winter  at  Fort  Clark  was 


288  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

brilliant  socially.  We  organized  a  theatrical 
company,  which  gave  with  great  success  a 
number  of  popular  plays,  including  "  Caste," 
"  Ours,"  and  several  farces  that  were  a  source 
of  much  merriment.  The  soldiers  were  allowed 
to  fill  the  hall  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  their 
appreciation  was  an  additional  reward  for  our 
efforts. 

I  doubt  if  anything  can  be  funnier  than  a 
familiar  face  and  form  rendered  unrecognizable 
by  an  absurd  and  ridiculous  disguise.  The 
night  "  Caste  "  was  produced,  I  excelled  mj^self 
in  so  completely  changing  Mr.  Boyd's  appear- 
ance that  his  entrance  on  the  stage  as  "  Old 
Eccles"  was  greeted  by  loud  and  long-con- 
tinued shouts,  which  ceased  only  to  be  again  and 
again  renewed.  It  was  the  success  of  the  even- 
ing. In  our  sentimental  parts  Mr.  Boyd  eclipsed 
us  all,  and  was  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes  in  his 
maudlin  drunkenness. 

After  having  studied  the  book  of  directions 
until  I  understood  how  to  make  my  husband 
look  utterly  disreputable  and  unlike  himself,  I 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  289 

delighted  in  having  him  assume  various  odd 
characters ;  for  the  moment  he  appeared  before 
an  audience,  deafening  applause  invariably 
greeted  him. 

We  worked  as  hard  to  secure  the  success  of 
our  plays  as  though  fortunes  had  depended  upon 
it,  and  unhesitatingly  robbed  our  houses  of  orna- 
ments in  order  that  the  stage  might  present  an 
attractive  appearance. 

I  would  not  like  to  be  a  professional  on  the 
boards  if  it  necessitated  as  much  real  labor  as 
did  our  amateur  performances.  But  we  soon 
found  that  a  good  paying  audience  could  readily 
be  commanded,  and  after  the  first  few  evenings 
raised  money  enough  to  build  a  very  pretty 
stage,  and  completely  renovate  the  only  hall  in 
the  garrison,  which  had  been  used  for  church, 
schoolroom,  ballroom,  and  theater  for  years  with- 
out any  improvements  or  alterations  having  been 
made,  and  was  in  sad  need  of  the  new  floor  and 
ceiling  our  money  supplied. 

We  also  gave  performances  for  several  chari- 
ties.     One   for  the  famishing   Irish,  when  we 


290  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

"  Caste  "  our  bread  ujDon  the  waters,  was  espe- 
cially successful ;  and  when  at  the  approach  of 
Christmas,  money  was  needed  for  a  tree  with 
which  to  gladden  the  hearts  of  the  soldiers'  one 
hundred  little  children,  we  had  an  immense 
audience. 

The  actors  afterwards  went  to  San  Antonio, 
where  they  played  for  the  Masonic  fund;  and 
also  to  a  little  near-by  town  where  a  church  was 
greatly  needed. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  291 


CHAPTER   XX. 

It  was  customary  for  companies  of  Mr. 
Boyd's  regiment  to  be  sent  for  six  months  to 
garrison  the  forts  on  the  Rio  Grande,  which 
were  close  by;  our  turn  came  when  we  had 
been  two  years  at  Fort  Clark,  which  we  left 
reluctantly. 

No  station  immediately  on  the  river  was  ever 
considered  desirable,  on  account  of  its  unfailing 
sand  and  heat ;  and  Fort  Duncan,  to  which  we 
were  assigned,  had  no  comfortable  houses.  It 
was  only  forty  miles  from  Fort  Clark,  and  as 
but  two  companies  of  infantry  were  stationed 
there,  the  small  garrison  was  inevitably  dull. 

Our  dwelling  consisted  of  one  room  in  a  very 
dilapidated  building.  It  had  been  previously 
used  as  a  store-room,  and  the  barred  windows 
made  it  seem  prison-like. 


292  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

The  kitchen  was  so  far  away  that  a  complete 
circuit  of  the  house  was  necessary  in  order  to 
reach  it,  and  the  dining-room  was  a  part  of  the 
kitchen. 

Our  sorrows  were  added  to  when  our  beauti- 
ful ponies,  that  had  borne  us  about  the  country 
for  miles  in  every  direction  during  our  stay  at 
Clark,  and  which  I  had  confidently  expected 
would  reUeve  the  tedium  of  life  at  Duncan, 
were  attacked  by  glanders  and  ordered  shot. 
In  spite,  however,  of  this  caution,  the  conta- 
gion spread ;  and  before  another  month  Mr. 
Boyd's  splendid  charger,  and  our  other  dear 
little  Mexican  pony,  had  also  been  condemned. 
Thus  we  lost  four  horses  within  one  month, 
and  I  would  have  been  in  despair  had  we  not 
found  a  superb  riding-horse  in  the  troop,  which 
proved  so  safe  and  reliable  that  I  was  often 
tempted  to  go  far  beyond  proper  limits. 

One  day,  when  riding  alone,  I  espied  smoke  ' 
ahead,  and  idly  followed  in  its  direction  until 
I  found  myself  facing  a  house  which  I  recalled 
as   having  been  described  to  me  as  a  den  of 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  293 

horse  thieves.  My  mount  was  superb,  but  I 
was  nine  miles  from  home  and  conscious  that 
rest  was  imperative.  I  dismounted,  led  my 
horse  to  the  house,  and  asked  for  water.  The 
man  who  appeared  not  only  gave  me  that,  but 
also  coffee;  and  when  I  related  the  loss  of 
my  ponies,  offered  to  sell  me  a  fine  pair  very 
cheap. 

I  used  my  eyes  to  good  advantage,  not  neg- 
lecting to  notice  a  ford,  directly  in  front  of 
the  door,  which  could  be  utilized  at  a  moment's 
notice  for  horses  to  cross  into  Mexico.  But 
that  was  none  of  my  affairs,  and  like  all  rough 
frontiersmen  mine  host  of  the  hour  was  ex- 
ceedingly polite.  He  led  up  for  inspection 
several  pairs  of  fine  ponies.  I  did  not,  how- 
ever, buy  any,  as  I  feared  the  owners  might 
meet  me  some  day  and  claim  their  property. 

After  a  brief  rest  I  remounted,  and  on  reach- 
ing home  found  that  my  absence  had  been  of 
five  hours'  duration,  and  the  entire  garrison  was 
alarmed. 

We  remained  at  Duncan  all  that  winter,  and 


294  CAVALEY  LIFE. 

aside  from  daily  rides  our  only  amusement  was 
a  trip  across  the  river  into  Mexico.  The  quaint 
old  town  of  Piedras  Negras  lay  directly  oppo- 
site Fort  Duncan ;  and  the  same  style  of  primi- 
tive boats  as  were  used  in  New  Mexico,  and  on 
one  of  which  we  came  so  near  to  losing  our 
lives,  was  there  employed  to  ferry  us  across. 
We  were  able  to  enjoy  everything  Piedras  Ne- 
gras afforded  in  the  way  of  sight-seeing,  having 
arrived  just  before  the  yearly  fiesta,  which  is 
the  gala  time  among  Mexicans. 

The  town,  like  all  I  saw  in  Mexico,  was  built 
around  squares  called  plazas.  These  were  occu- 
pied during  the  fiesta  as  booths  for  the  sale 
of  curiosities,  and  also  for  that  sport  so  dear  to 
Mexican  hearts  —  gambling.  Any  game  could 
be  indulged  in,  from  three  card  monte  to  rou- 
lette ;  or,  if  disposed,  visitors  might  partake  of 
Mexican  viands,  served  by  bashful  senoritas 
clad  in  pretty  Spanish  costumes. 

The  climax  of  festivities  was,  of  course,  bull- 
fights, when  the  large  amphitheater  would  be 
crowded  by  an  excited  Mexican  audience.     Hav- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  295 

ing  heard  so  much  of  those  affairs,  we  were,  of 
course,  eager  to  see  one  ;  but  our  curiosity  was 
soon  satisfied,  for  a  more  tame  encounter  I 
never  beheld. 

The  poor  bull  absolutely  refused  to  fight,  and, 
after  having  been  goaded  and  prodded  by  the 
matador  with  sharp-pointed  spears,  gayly  ribbon- 
bedecked,  kept  turning  wistfully  toward  the 
door  by  which  he  had  entered,  and  every  now 
and  then  rushed  to  it,  only  to  be  met  by  more 
spear  pricks,  which,  though  causing  his  blood 
to  flow,  served  only  to  still  farther  intimidate 
the  poor  animal.  Finally,  amid  the  shouts  of 
the  people,  he  would  be  dispatched  and  re- 
placed by  another,  that  invariably  showed  the 
same  want  of  spirit. 

To  American  on-lookers  it  seemed  a  cruel 
sport,  unworthy  its  historic  greatness. 

The  only  delightful  features  connected  with 
that  so-called  pastime  were  the  perfect  Mexican 
band  and  superb  drilling  of  Mexican  soldiers, 
who  marched  and  countermarched  for  at  least 
an  hour  without  a  single  order  being  spoken, 


296  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

they  responding  merely  to  a  tap  of  the  drum  as 
each  new  movement  was  initiated. 

The  band  was  superb,  and  the  music  so  sweet 
and  thrilling  we  could  have  listened  for  hours 
without  weariness.  On  account  of  exchanging 
many  hospitalities  with  the  Mexican  officers,  we 
enjoyed  numerous  opportunities  of  hearing  it. 

On  one  occasion  the  band  was  brought  over 
to  serenade  us,  and  we  listened  as  in  a  dream  to 
its  rendering  of  various  operas  and  Mexican 
national  airs,  played  with  such  expression  that 
all  the  sentiments  they  indicated  were  aroused. 

The  perfect  submission  of  Mexican  soldiers, 
and  the  never-ending  drilling  they  received, 
made  them  more  thorough  than  our  own,  who 
never  could  have  been  kept  in  such  slavish  sub- 
jection. The  Mexican  soldier  is  usually  born 
a  peon,  or  slave,  and  never  dreams  of  resenting 
the  will  of  his  superiors  —  nor  of  having  one  of 
his  own. 

Those  men  were  drilled  hours  before  dawn, 
and  that  they  might  be  in  good  marching  order 
were  compelled  to  walk  ten  and  even  twenty 
miles  a  day  out  in  the  open  country. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  297 

We  were  invited  to  all  balls  given  by  the 
Mexican  officers,  and  found  them  curious 
affairs.  The  women's  costumes  were  tawdry 
'  in  the  extreme,  and  their  manner  of  dancing  so 
slow  as  to  seem  most  monotonous  ;  yet  I  have 
never  seen  more  perfect  natural  grace  any- 
where displayed  than  in  those  measured  Span- 
ish dances. 

The  variety  those  balls  afforded  was  quite 
enjoyable  until  one  night  a  Mexican  officer  of 
high  rank  drew  a  pistol  and  fired  directly  at  a 
man  who  moved  too  slowly  out  of  his  path  to 
suit  the  officer's  dignity.  I  never  attended 
another  ball,  being  unwilling  to  witness  such 
scenes.  We  had  also  experienced  much  diffi- 
culty in  crossing  the  Rio  Grande  at  night ;  so  I 
was  glad  of  an  excuse  to  remain  our  side  of  the 
river  after  dark,  but  loved  to  drive  over  in 
broad  daylight,  when  I  felt  safe  and  could 
avoid  all  midnight  perils. 

It  always  seemed  to  me  as  if  the  suave  Span- 
ish politeness  of  those  Mexican  officers  con- 
cealed  smoldering   volcanoes,     I   have   known 


298  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

an  officer  to  shoot  a  soldier  dead   at  the  first 
hint  of  insubordination. 

We  remained  at  Fort  Duncan  until  early 
spring,  when  the  inesquite  trees,  which  beauti-  \ 
fied  the  parade  grounds,  were  clothed  in  a 
tender,  fresh  green  whose  tint  I  have  never 
seen  equaled.  Our  recall  to  Clark  by  ex- 
change in  March  was  heartily  welcomed. 

A  cloud,  however,  loomed  on  my  horizon  in 
the  certainty  that  I  must  soon  leave  our  dear 
army  life  for  the  East.  It  is  never  deemed 
prudent  to  remain  long  in  so  debilitating  a 
climate,  and  malarial  fever  had  fastened  itself 
upon  both  our  elder  children,  completely  redu- 
cing their  strength.  We  had,  however,  great 
cause  for  thankfulness  in  their  being  spared; 
for  the  disease  was  unusually  fatal  that  season, 
and,  indeed,  for  three  long  weeks  the  lives  of 
our  little  ones  hung  in  the  balance,  while  fear 
and  anxiety  harassed  our  souls. 

Texas  malarial  fever  burns  with  an  unremit- 
ting ardor  nothing  can  quench  until  its  course 
has  been  run.     Our  good  doctor  almost  lived 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  299 


with  us  ;  and  whenever  the  temperature  rose 
above  one  hundred  and  two  degrees  he  would 
plunge  our  little  boy  into  a  tub  of  the  coldest 
water  procurable,  —  no  ice  was  to  be  had,  —  and 
hold  him  there  until  the  child's  body  became 
blue,  and  his  teeth  began  to  chatter,  when  he 
would  be  wrapped  in  blankets,  and  hot  bottles 
placed  at  his  feet. 

Heroic  treatment  that  could  not  fail  to  wring 
a  mother's  heart !  When  our  little  daughter 
fought  the  same  hard  battle  for  three  long 
weeks,  and  came  out  from  it  a  perfect  shadow, 
with  her  head  bald  as  any  infant's,  I  realized 
that  our  physician  was  right,  and  that  I  must 
leave  Texas  or  we  should  lose  our  children. 

Better  educational  facilities  also  seemed  im- 
perative. Thus  far  I  had  taught  the  little 
ones,  and  they  were  well  advanced,  but  no  one 
expects  to  find  very  desirable  schools  in  the 
wilderness ;  so  we  began  our  preparations  for 
departure,  feeling  that  years  must  pass  before 
we  could  again  settle  down,  as  education  had 
become  the  most  important  need. 


300  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Exactly  ten  years  from  the  day  we  had  left 
New  York  I  returned.  My  heart  was  so  bound 
up  in  frontier  life  I  had  hoped  until  the  last 
moment  that  the  spring  rains,  which  had  been 
unusually  severe,  would  keep  us  storm-bound 
in  Texas.  The  town  of  Brackett  had  been 
flooded  just  before  our  departure,  and  the  post, 
from  its  high  and  dry  hill,  looked  down  upon 
a  scene  of  devastation  and  misery.  Every  house 
on  the  low  lands  was  undermined,  and  many 
were  washed  away ;  the  people  sought  refuge 
'  in  trees,  where  they  were  obliged  to  remain  for 
hour^,  until  assistance  in  the  shape  of  boats 
reached  them. 

Of  course,  as  in  all  scenes  where  the  colored 
race  is  conspicuous,  several  ludicrous  incidents 
occurred.      One   old  mammy,  who  weighed  at 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  301 

least  two  hundred  pounds,  in  her  joy  at  being 
rescued,  fell  into  the  arms  of  an  unusually  small 
white  soldier,  and  swamped  herself,  the  soldier, 
and  the  boat. 

Days  passed  before  the  water  subsided,  and 
in  consequence  our  journey  was  delayed  a 
month ;  as  with  four  days  of  ambulance  travel 
to  San  Antonio  we  did  not  dare  start  until  the 
roads  were  dry.  I  was  wicked  enough  to  hope 
they  never  would  be  in  condition  for  travel; 
but  when  the  mail  again,  reached  us  regularly 
there  was  no  fartlier  excuse  for  delay,  and  with 
tearful  eyes  I  bade  adieu  to  dearly  loved  Fort 
Clark. 

Many  of  tlie  ladies  thought  my  unwillingness 
to  leave  Texas  could  not  be  really  sincere,  a 
change  seemed  to  them  so  desirable.  But  my 
fears  that  I  should  not  feel  at  home  in  civil  life, 
where  everything  was  so  different,  were  verified. 

Four  days'  travel  by  ambulance  through  deep 
mud  was  required  to  reach  San  Antonio.  We 
did  not  tarry  to  explore  that  curious-  old  town, 
but  stepped  immediately  on  board  a  train  for 


302  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

Galveston,  where  we  arrived  in  twenty-four 
hours.  At  that  place  I  parted  from  my  hus- 
band, and  took  a  steamer  for  New  York.  Seven 
days'  passage  over  Southern  and  into  Northern 
seas  brought  us  to  the  city,  where  our  children 
saw  civilization  for  the  first  time  within  their 
recollections. 

It  is  needless  to  recount  our  experiences  in 
New  York,  or  rather  Coney  Island,  where  we 
remained  through  the  summer,  and  which  was 
just  the  place  for  little  barbarians  to  see  strange 
sights  and  become  familiarized  with  strange 
scenes. 

After  all  the  frontier  travel  and  its  dangers 
through  which  we  had  passed,  it  seemed  odd 
that  this  land  of  safety  should  hardly  have  been 
reached  before  we  narrowly  escaped  serious 
harm.  I  chose  the  boat  as  a  means  of  transit  to 
Coney  Island;  and  when  we  reached  the  pier 
found  that  our  trunks  had  not  arrived,  and  so 
waited  hours  for  the  expressman,  who  did  not 
come  until  very  late  in  the  day. 

I   was    overwhelmed   with    our    belongings, 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  803 

which  consisted  of  two  large  trunks,  the  same 
number  of  hand-bags,  an  immense  valise,  and  a 
violin.  After  we  had  boarded  the  boat  and 
fairly  started  on  our  way,  I  was  dismayed  to 
find  night  rapidly  approaching,  and  most  omi- 
nous-looking clouds  arising.  They  proved  pre- 
cursors of  a  furious  storm,  the  violence  of  which 
reminded  me  of  those  experienced  while  at  the 
West.  Much  damage  was  done  in  and  around 
New  York  Harbor. 

When  we  neared  the  island  after  a  terrifying 
trip,  I  saw  to  my  horror  that  the  boat,  instead 
of  landing  at  the  first  and  completed  iron  pier, 
passed  it,  and  made  for  the  uncompleted  pier, 
which  jutted  much  farther  out  into  the  ocean, 
and  at  that  time  was  simply  an  uncovered  walk 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length. 

Nothing,  however,  could  be  done  except  land 
—  with  three  children — and  stand  in  the  mad- 
dest rush  of  rain  to  which  I  had  ever  been  ex- 
posed, watching  our  trunks  and  bags  tumbled 
out  into  the  storm.  Aware  that  a  few  mo- 
ments' exposure  to  such  a  torrent  would  ruin 


304  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

their  cdntents,  I  looked,  but  in  vain,  for  a 
means  of  conveyance  to  the  hotel.  No  one  was 
in  sight,  the  iew  passengers  who  had  landed 
having  immediately  hastened  away ;  and  as  we 
were  being  completely  drenched,  I  decided  to 
leave  the  baggage  to  its  fate. 

Carrying  as  much  as  possible  in  my  hands,  I 
sent  our  little  girl  in  advance  with  her  small 
brothers.  Judge  of  my  horror  when  suddenly 
I  saw  the  piles  of  boards  that  were  stacked  in 
readiness  for  roofing  the  pier,  moving  and  actu- 
ally filling  the  air  on  all  sides.  The  children 
were  directly  in  the  path  of  that  furious  hurri- 
cane, and  I  could  only  helplessly  watch  them. 
Fortunately  it  did  not  last  long ;  and  my  little 
daughter  was  wise  enough  to  race  ahead  with 
her  brothers,  so  no  damage  was  done  except  the 
loss  of  both  the  boys'  hats,  which  blew  into  the 
ocean.  Then  the  rain  descended  with  redoubled 
force ;  but  some  one  compassionately  let  us  into 
a  little  house  built  for  the  workmen,  where, 
terrified  beyond  measure,  we  were  shut  in  with 
darkness. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  305 

I  was  all  the  while  worrying  about  our 
trunks,  and  finally  induced  a  workman  to 
promise  that  he  would  have  them  taken  to  the 
hotel.  But  the  man  soon  returned,  and  reported 
that  they  had  disappeared.  That  was  a  severe 
blow ;  and  in  the  darkness  I  wandered  all  over 
the  pier  until  finally  a  kind  policeman  was 
found,  who  assured  me  the  trunks  could  not 
have  been  stolen.  Our  search  was  at  last  re- 
warded by  their  discovery,  when  the  policeman 
called  a  coach  and  bade  me  take  the  children  to 
a  hotel.  I  did  so,  and  then  sent  the  coachman 
back  for  our  trunks. 

An  hour  passed  without  his  return,  when  I 
made  inquiries,  only  to  be  consoled  by  being 
told  that  the  coachman  was  unknown  in  the 
hotel,  and  had  probably  stolen  our  possessions. 

I  started  again,  in  spite  of  the  continued 
storm,  for  that  pier,  where  to  my  joy  I  spied 
the  policeman,  who  said  he  had  refused  to  de- 
liver the  trunks  without  a  written  order.  Al- 
though deeply  grateful  for  his  caution,  I  would 
gladly  have  been  back  in  Texas,  where,  what- 


306  CAVALEY  LIFE. 


ever  happened,  there  was  some  one  to  share 
hardships  with  me. 

The  storm  was  unusually  severe.  After  its 
cessation  sign-boards  were  found  scattered  all 
over  the  island,  and  some  buildings  had  been 
unroofed. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  dwell  at  length  on 
our  sojourn  in  the  East,  which  lasted  four  years. 
This  is  a  tale  of  army  life,  and  one  accustomed 
to  it  is  amazed  when  living  among  civilians  to 
find  how  little  they  know  of  such  an  institution 
as  the  army. 

My  husband  had  long  been  entitled,  by  rea- 
son of  rank  and  length  of  service,  to  the  one 
detail  —  that  of  recruiting  —  which  brings  a 
cavalry  officer  East.  He  had  always  intended 
to  reserve  this  for  the  time  when  an  education 
would  be  demanded  for  our  children,  and  that 
time  had  come;  so  Mr.  Boyd  applied  for  and 
received  the  detail  in  the  fall  of  1882. 

On  reaching  St.  Louis,  where  the  choice  of 
several  cities  was  given  him,  he  selected  Boston 
because   of  its   excellent  schools.      We    spent 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  807 


there  a  winter,  which  seemed  to  us,  fresh  from 
sunny  climes,  one  long  succession  of  rain,  fogs, 
and  east  winds.  Still,  the  many  advantages  of 
that  well-regulated  city  were  appreciated,  and 
had  I  been  well  we  should  have  enjoyed  its  in- 
tellectual atmosphere.  As  it  was,  we  were  glad 
when  summer  arrived,  and  a  little  cottage  on 
one  of  the  delightful  beaches  near  by  could  be 
taken.  It  was  a  great  treat,  and  we  were  most 
thoroughly  enjoying  our  surroundings,  when,  in 
the  month  of  August,  a  thunder-clap  fell  on 
our  ears  in  the  shape  of  an  order  for  that  East- 
ern cavalry  recruiting  station  to  be  discontinued. 

Boston  had  kept  the  station  for  so  many 
years  I  could  not  at  first  believe  the  bad  news 
was  true.  But  it  proved  to  be ;  and  Captain 
Boyd,  who  had  just  received  his  promotion,  was 
ordered  to  open  a  recruiting  office  in  Daven- 
port, Iowa.  After  having  served  faithfully  as 
lieutenant  for  twenty-one  years,  he  had  at  last 
been  advanced  to  the  rank  of  captain. 

It  was  not  deemed  advisable  for  the  entire 
family  to  be  continually  changing  from  East  to 


308  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

.West,  and  vice  versd^  so  Captain  Boyd  went 
alone  to  his  new  station.  Time  showed  that 
our  decision  had  been  judicious ;  for  before  his 
two  years  of  recruiting  service  were  over  he 
had  been  assigned  to  four  different  stations, 
going  from  Davenport,  Iowa,  to  Rochester,  New 
York,  and  finally  spending  three  months  at 
Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri. 

Our  long  planned  Eastern  tour  had  proved 
an  utter  failure,  and  was  one  more  added  to  the 
list  of  many  disappointments.  After  giving  up 
our  country  home  near  Boston,  I  went  to  New 
York  with  our  children,  and  placing  them  in 
excellent  schools  entered  a  hospital,  where  I  re- 
mained for  one  long  year,  a  sufferer  from  illness 
entailed  by  early  army  hardships.  Our  little 
boy  was  sent  to  his  grandparents  in  the  country, 
and  my  husband  returned  to  Texas. 

After  Captain  Boyd  had  been  alone  there 
a  year,  he  asked  for  and  obtained  leave  of 
absence,  which  permitted  us  to  spend  four 
pleasant  months  at  Cooperstown,  on  Otsego 
Lake,  where  we  had  a  glorious  time.     My  hus- 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  309 

band  endeared  himself  to  every  one,  for  he  was 
constantly  helping  others. 

While  he  was  stationed  at  Davenport,  Iowa, 
a  gentleman  from  there  called  on  me  in  New 
York,  who  described  Captain  Boyd  as  the  most 
popular  man  in  the  city.  He  said  that  every 
white  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  town  knew 
and  loved  my  husband,  while  every  old  darky 
idolized  him. 

The  ladies  connected  with  one  of  Davenport's 
principal  churches  were  greatly  in  need  of 
money  for  charitable  purposes,  and  Captain 
Boyd  wrote  and  delivered  a  lecture  in  their  be- 
half which  netted  nearly  three  hundred  dollars. 
It  was  a  humorous  view  of  the  Indian  question, 
and  elicited  shouts  of  applause.  He  was  sub- 
sequently invited  to  give  the  same  address  in 
other  cities. 

On  Captain  Boyd's  return  to  the  frontier  his 
services  as  -  a  lecturer  were  in  great  demand, 
and  he  was  in  that  way  able  to  raise  large  sums 
of  money  for  charitable  purposes.  My  husband 
became  the  best-known  army  officer  at  the  West 


310  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

on  account  of  his  frequent  appearances  on  the 
lecture  platform. 

In  tlie  early  spring  of  1885,  four  years  after 
having  left  Texas,  I  returned.  In  all  that  time 
not  one  moment  had  passed  in  which  I  would 
not  gladly  have  been  there ;  so  I  seized  the  first 
plausible  excuse  afforded — a  greatly  needed 
change  for  our  daughter  —  and  leaving  the  eld- 
est boy  at  school  in  New  York,  again  sailed  for 
husband  and  frontier  life. 

The  sea  voyage  to  Galveston  was  the  most 
soothing  and  delightful  trip  of  the  kind  possi- 
ble. The  water  never  appears  rough  immedi- 
ately after  leaving  New  York;  and  for  three 
days,  while  off  the  coast  of  Florida,  the  vessel 
seemed  gently  —  almost  imperceptibly  so  far  as 
motion  was  concerned  —  gliding  along.  On 
arriving  at  San  Antonio,  instead  of  a  tedious 
ambulance-ride  awaiting  us,  we  went  by  rail  to 
Fort  Clark,  which  was  reached  in  a  few  hours. 

The  sight  of  dear  old  familiar  landmarks 
was  inexpressibly  pleasant ;  and  when  we  were 
ushered  into  one  of  those  well-remembered  little 


CAVALllY  LIFE.  311 

houses,  with  all  the  old  furniture  about,  it  really 
seemed  too  good  to  be  true.  Everything  was 
more  than  satisfactory ;  and  the  gratiJfication  af- 
forded by  the  change  can  be  understood  only  by 
those  who  have  been  away  from  loved  scenes 
for  years,  and  on  returning  found  all  expecta- 
tions realized.  Old  friends  were  there  to  greet 
us,  and  we  were  supremely  happy  in  the  renewal 
of  our  former  life. 

My  content  and  joy  lasted  four  months,  when 
rumors  of  Indian  outbreaks  in  far  away  New 
Mexico  reached  our  ears,  and  were  soon  followed 
by  an  order  for  all  cavalry  troops  to  hold  them- 
selves in  immediate  marching  readiness. 

Captain  Boyd  had  just  returned  from  a  trip 
to  San  Antonio,  having  gone  there  in  compli- 
ance with  a  request  to  deliver  the  oration  at  the 
National  Cemetery  on  Decoration  Day.  In  that 
address  my  husband  distinguished  himself  in  a 
Avay  to  be  long  remembered  by  his  family  and 
friends.  It  was  the  most  touching  and  felici- 
tous tribute  to  our  dead  soldiers  ever  written ; 
touching  because  of  the  truest  sentiments;  fe- 


S12  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

licitous  because  in  a  place  where  sectional  feel- 
ing had  for  years  run  riot,  not  one  word  was 
uttered  to  which  the  veterans  on  either  side 
could  object. 

The  address  was  very  lengthy,  occupying  four 
columns  of  the  San  Antonio  Express^  in  which  it 
was  published  next  day;  but  every  word  was 
listened  to  with  eager  interest  by  the  immense 
audience.  Long  before  its  conclusion  the  fer- 
vent tears  that  fell  from  old  soldiers'  eyes 
attested  Captain  Boyd's  eloquence ;  and  when 
he  ceased  speaking  the  veterans,  mainly  of  the 
Southern  army,  crowded  about  him  with  words 
of  earnest  praise,  and  begged  that  he  honor  them 
with  a  visit.  The  Texas  papers  were  unanimous 
in  the  declaration  that  no  such  masterly  address 
had  ever  before  been  heard  on  a  similar  occasion. 

Captain  Boyd  was  obliged  to  hasten  his  return 
because  feeling  very  ill;  he  had  been  scarcely 
able  to  stand  in  the  heat  of  that  day.  May  30, 
1885,  when,  as  usual  at  that  season  of  the  year 
in  Texas,  the  temperature  was  extreme  and  the 
atmosphere   torrid.      After   reaching   home   he 


CAVA  LET  LIFU.  S13 

was  confined  to  his  room  for  a  week,  and  then 
came  word  for  the  troops  to  start  for  New 
Mexico. 

The  order  was  received  in  a  telegraphic  dis» 
patch  from  Washington,  and  was  immediate!}'' 
complied  with.  Before  we  could  realize  it,  every 
troop  of  cavalry  had  left  Fort  Clark  for  an  in- 
definite period.  A  long  series  of  Apache  out- 
rages headed  by  Geronimo  had  resulted  in  the 
determination  to  capture  him  and  his  band,  if  it 
took  the  whole  army  to  do  it.  Accordingly, 
from  every  post  in  New  Mexico  and  Texas  all 
troops  that  could  be  spared  were  sent. 

A  cordon  of  outposts  was  established,  so  that 
the  Indians  who  had  gone  into  Mexico  could 
not  return  without  being  captured.  The  devas- 
tations they  had  wrought  were  terrible.  The 
little  corner  of  south-western  New  Mexico,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Bayard,  had  become  a 
veritable  charnel  house.  Every  interest  of  the 
country  had  been  ruined  by  their  constant  raids. 

The  President's  attention  was  directly  drawn 
to  the  state  of  affairs  by  my  brotlier,  who  was 


314  CAVALBY  LIFE. 

in  Washington  at  the  time.  He  had  edited  a 
paper  in  Silver  City,  New  Mexico,  for  several 
years,  and  had  kept  an  account  of  the  num- 
ber of  murders  committed  by  Indians  —  five 
hundred  in  eight  years.  In  such  a  sparsely 
settled  country  the  loss  of  so  many  precious 
lives  was  not  only  sad  beyond  expression,  but 
if  continued  must  result  in  hopeless  ruin  to 
that  region,  which,  as  I  have  before  stated,  is 
the  garden  spot  of  the  West.  Sheltered  by 
numerous  hills,  cattle  always  thrive  and  in- 
crease there,  because  of  the  perfectly  equable 
climate  and  a  constant  supply  of  nutritive  food. 

For  those  very  reasons,  probably,  it  was  a 
paradise  for  the  Indians,  who  could  steal  in  and 
out  more  readily  on  account  of  the  numerous 
mountain  hiding-places. 

It  was  very  unusual  for  troops  stationed  in 
Texas  to  be  sent  out  of  their  district;  but  in 
that  case  everything  possible  was  done  to  en- 
hance the  safety  of  the  long-suffering  peo- 
ple. I  shall  not  try  to  give  an  account  of  that 
long-protracted  warfare,  which  lasted  eighteen 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  315 


months  before  Geronimo  was  captured.  During 
that  time  our  troops  marched  over  ground  that 
was  well-nigh  impassable,  and  endured  every 
species  of  hardships.  The  cavalry  worked  night 
and  day  to  secure  those  wily  Indians,  and  finally 
succeeded;  but  a  volume  would  be  required  if 
their  hardships  and  sufferings  were  to  be  re- 
counted. 

It  is  simply  impossible  for  any  one  who  has 
not  seen  the  unsettled  portions  of  this  country 
to  imagine  its  character  and  the  difficulties 
which  beset  troops  that  follow  on  the  trails  of 
Indians.  Our  cavalry  has  been  criticised  freely ; 
but  I  would  say  to  the  critic :  "  Go  thou  and  do 
likewise."  More  than  they  have  done,  it  would 
be  impossible  to  do,  and  no  country  could  be 
less  grateful  than  ours.  If  soldiers .  were  re- 
warded according  to  their  deserts,  each  cavalry- 
man would  wear  the  choicest  prize  within  the 
nation's  gift.  The  service  is  very  trying.  I 
can  scarcely  recall  an  officer  who  is  not  a  mar- 
tyr to  severe  sufferings  caused  by  constant  ex- 
posure, and  who  in  middle  life  is  not  an  old 
man  both  in  feeling  and  experience. 


316  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

After  reaching  Deming,  New  Mexico,  Cap- 
tain Boyd's  troop  was  sent  into  the  Black 
Range,  where  they  encamped  at  a  little  place 
called  Grafton,  fifty  miles  from  the  mountains. 
I  have  my  husband's  diary,  which  contains  an 
account  of  the  march  and  the  country  over 
which  they  traveled.  He  greatly  disliked  to 
settle  quietly  down  in  the  camp  selected  as  a 
permanent  one,  and  was  delighted  when  a  letter 
summoning  him  away  was  received. 

The  letter  was  sent  from  a  little  Mexican 
town  about  one  hundred  miles  distant,  and 
informed  him  that  ten  Indian  women  had 
reached  there,  who,  if  captured,  would  per- 
haps prove  valuable  hostages.  Thc}^  were  the 
wives  of  some  members  of  the  band  that  were 
on  the  war-path ;  and  if  they  could  be  secured 
the  probability  of  effecting  a  treaty  seemed 
reasonable. 

Captain  Boyd  lost  no  time  in  preparations, 
but  started  at  once  with  twenty  mounted  men. 
The  march  occupied  five  days,  and  on  reaching 
the  town  the  Indian  women  were  found  in  an 
almost  starving  condition. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  317 

The  country  was  very  rougli,  and  a  few  lines 
received  from  my  husband  while  there  stated 
that  he  was  suffering  greatly  from  the  effects 
of  bad  di'inking-water.  The  man  Avho  had  sent 
the  letter  begged  him  to  remain  a  few  days,  and 
not  risk  the  effects  of  the  return  to  camp  while 
so  ill.  But  he  refused  to  stay,  fearing  the  In- 
dian women  might  escape  if  not  speedily  taken 
to  a  permanent  military  station. 

My  husband  returned  to  camp,  having  suf- 
fered intensely  during  the  ten  days  of  his  ab- 
sence, and  when  he  reached  his  troop  was 
dying,  though  still  refusing  to  consider  him- 
self seriously  ill.  He  at  once  ordered  the 
only  officer  with  him  to  proceed  with  the 
Indian  women  to  the  place  where  the  main 
body  of  the  regiment  was  encamped,  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  distant. 

The  young  officer  was  so  anxious  about  Cap- 
tain Boyd  that  he  sent  a  courier  for  the  nearest 
surgeon,  who  was  at  Hillsboro,  eighty  miles 
away.  It  was  four  days  before  the  doctor 
could   reach   Grafton,   and   meantime   Captain 


318  CAVALRY  LIFE. 

Boyd  was  without  proper  medical  attendance. 
Everything  his  faithful  soldiers  could  do  was 
done ;  but,  alas,  to  no  purpose !  The  army  doc- 
tor's first  glance  showed  him  that  Captain  Boyd 
was  doomed. 

For  five  days  the  most  unremitting  care  and 
attention  were  given  him,  both  by  the  kind  phy- 
sician and  by  a  captain  of  the  regiment  who  had 
accompanied  him.  But  all  was  useless.  The 
fifth  day  ended  the  life  of  this  noble  and  true 
man. 

Captain  Boyd's  last  hard  ride  had  developed 
violent  inflammation  which  was  simply  incura- 
ble, as  the  disease  had  been  increasing  for  years, 
having  first  developed  when  during  the  war  the 
young  soldier  had  been  compelled  to  drink  im- 
pure water  and  go  without  food  for  days.  Sub- 
sequent years  of  cavalry  hardships  had  increased 
its  strength  until  that  last  exposure  proved  fatal. 

Home  in  Texas  we  scarcely  realized  that  he 
was  ill  when  the  terrible  news  of  his  death 
came  in  a  telegram  that  had  been  two  days  en 
route. 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  319 

Letters  had  been  received  from  him  so  regu- 
larly that  when  they  ceased  I  supposed  he  was 
still  on  the  march.  When  the  doctor  and  cap- 
tain began  to  write,  .their  communications  were 
at  first  so  encouraging  thnt  Ave  could  scarcely 
believe  he  was  in  any  danger,  and  were  totally 
unprepared  for  the  terrible  sequel.  In  fact,  no 
one  could  at  first  accept  the  sad  truth ;  for  Cap- 
tain Boyd  had  been  tlie  picture  of  health,  and 
had  impressed  every  one  with  his  unusual 
vitality.  When  the  young  officer  who  had  been 
sent  forward  with  the  Indian  women  returned 
to  find  his  beloved  captain  dead  and  buried,  the 
shock  was  so  great  he  almost  fell  from  his  horse. 

That  Indian  campaign  resulted  in  some  terri- 
ble deaths,  but  none  was  more  shocking  than 
this  sad  ending  to  a  long  and  most  faithful 
career. 

Only  a  few  months  previously  Captain  Boyd 
had  spoken  very  feelingly  of  the  double  loss 
army  women  sustained  when  death  robbed  them 
of  their  husbands  —  the  loss  of  both  husband 
and  home.     He  realized  how  deeply  attached  to 


320  CAVALRY  LIFE. 


the  life  they  became,  and  how  sad  it  was  that 
they  must  be  cast  adrift  from  all  the  associa- 
tions of  years.  But  such,  though  sorrowful  in 
all  its  aspects,  is  the  fate  of  army  women. 

My  grief  was  intensified  by  the  utter  refusal 
of  the  Secretary  of  War  to  remove  all  that 
remained  of  so  true  and  manly  a  soldier  to  a 
National  Cemetery.  After  my  first  request  had 
been  denied  I  went  to  Washington,  only  to 
receive  there  a  second  from  the  same  source ; 
the  reason  given  being  that  government  could 
not  afford  to  incur  the  expense. 

Had  I  not  made  every  effort  possible,  there 
would  have  been  another  lonely  grave  in  the 
very  heart  of  a  remote  mountain  region,  where 
none  who  loved  him  could  ever  have  visited 
the  spot. 

Captain  Boyd  died  on  the  same  day  as  Gen- 
eral Grant.  A  week  later  orders  were  received 
at  Fort  Clark  from  the  War  Department,  direct. 
ing  that  the  nation's  great  general  should  have 
every  honor  paid  his  memoiy.  Guns  were 
fired,  flags  displayed  at  half-mast,  and  the  band 


CAVALRY  LIFE.  821 


played  sad  and  solemn  music,  while  troops 
paraded  in  honor  of  the  dead  general  and  his 
great  achievements. 

It  seemed  to  me  mournful  and  unjust,  that 
while  high  and  deserved  honors  were  paid  the 
memory  of  one,  the  other,  as  noble  and  true  a 
soldier  as  ever  walked  tliis  earth,  and  who  had 
given  twenty-four  of  his  forty-one  years  of  life 
in  faithful  service,  had  endured  terrible  hard- 
ships, and  yielded  at  last  even  his  life  for  his 
country,  should  be  laid  to  rest  far  from  home 
and  friends,  out  on  the  lonely  prairie,  and  except 
in  the  hearts  of  a  few  his  memory  should  utterly 
fade. 

Captain  Boyd  sleeps  in  the  National  Cemetery 
at  San  Antonio,  where  six  weeks  previously  he 
had  touched  all  hearts  with  his  eloquence. 
Graven  on  his  tomb  are  the  last  words  of  that 
memorable  address : 

*'  Sleep,  soldier,  still  in  honored  rest 
Thy  truth  and  valor  wearing; 
The  bravest  are  the  tenderest, 
The  loving  are  the  daring." 


APPENDIX  A. 


Extract  from  the  proceedings  of  the  Association  of  Graduates  of  the 

United  States  Military  Academy  at  its  annual  reunion,  held 

at  West  Point,  Neio  York,  June  10, 1886.^ 

ORSEMUS  B.    BOYD. 
No.  2216.    Class  ok  1867. 

Died  (in  the  field),  at   Camp  near  Grafton,  New  Mexico , 
July  23,  1885,  aged  41. 

"  So  passed  the  strong,  heroic  soul  away  —  " 

Born  in  New  York ;  appointed  from  New  York  ; 
class  rank,  61. 

Entered  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  as  a  member 
of  the  Eighty-ninth  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry, 
Sept.  1,  1861,  and  served  until  July  1,  1863,  when 
he  was  appointed  a  Cadet  in  the  United  States 
Military  Academy.     He  saw  active  service  in  our 

1  This  obituary  was  distributed  throughout  the  corps  of  cadets  at 
West  Point  by  the  Commandant  at  the  time  of  Captain  Boyd's  death, 
and  its  perfect  justice  has  never  in  the  slightest  degree  been 
challenged. 

323 


324  APPENDIX  A. 


great  war,  and  was  mentioned  for  gallantry  at 
Koanoke  Island,  North  Carolina. 

He  was  graduated  on  June  17,  1867,  and  ap- 
pointed second  lieutenant  Eighth  United  States 
Cavalry ;  first  lieutenant  same,  Oct.  13,  1868 ;  cap- 
tain, Jan.  26,  1882.  He  died  July  23, 1885,  closing 
in  acknowledged  honor  and  undoubted  manly  effec- 
tiveness twenty-four  years  of  faithful  and  gallant 
service  in  the  saddest  of  our  wars,  and  in  Arizona, 
New  Mexico,  and  Texas,  where  he  assisted  in  de- 
veloping our  great  inland  resources. 

His  family  have  an  honest  pride  in  his  unosten- 
tatious record,  and  we  all  may  say : 

"  Duncan  is  in  his  grave. 
After  life's  fitful  fever,  he  sleeps  well." 

THE   RECORD    OF    A   NOBLE   LIFE. 

"  I,  the  despised  of  fortune,  lift  mine  eyes, 
Bright  with  the  luster  of  integrity, 
In  unappealing  wretchedness,  on  high, 
And  the  last  rage  of  Destiny  defy." 

It  is  with  deep  solicitude  that  the  writer  endeav- 
ors, in  a  few  words,  to  do  justice  to  the  memory  of 
Captain  Boyd. 

For  several  long  and  intensely  painful  years  I 
knew  him  to  be  an  innocent  Enoch  Arden  in  a 


APPENDIX  A.  325 


lonely  desert  of  solitude,  bereft  of  —  dearer  to  the 
soldier  than  wife  or  life  —  his  honor  —  a  sufferer 
for  the  crime  of  another  man. 

It  was  in  1863  that  he  entered  the  academy  —  a 
veteran  soldier,  a  young  man  whose  merits  had 
gained  for  him  the  honorable  rank  of  cadet.  In 
1864  the  writer  joined  the  corps,  and  for  three 
years  marched  shoulder  to  shoulder  in  the  line  of 
the  dear  old  Gray  Battalion  with  the  man  who 
sleeps  far  away  from  the  Hudson,  and  where  the 
foot  of  the  idle  stranger  may  stop  to  mark  where  a 
good,  honest,  and  much-wronged  man  sleeps  the 
sleep  which  knows  no  waking. 

No  man  ever  did  better  work  in  the  army  than 
Boyd.  By  steady,  faithful,  and  efficient  service,  he 
wore  out  suspicion,  conspiracy,  bad  luck,  and  scan- 
dal. Since  the  establishment  of  his  innocence  — 
unsought,  unchallenged  by  him  —  his  defamer  has 
preceded  him  to  the  awful  bar  of  the  Great  Judge. 

He  lived  to  round  a  career  of  usefulness  and  gal- 
lant service  with  the  tributes  of  regimental  and 
army  respect,  the  affection  of  his  brother  officers, 
the  endearments  of  family  life,  the  respect  of  the 
people  of  Texas  and  of  the  territories  where  he 
had  served.  Demonstrations  by  his  company  and 
comments  of  the  general  press  prove  that  his  once- 


326  APPENDIX  A. 


shadowed  name  is  now  clear  and  clean,  and  may  be 
honored  by  those  who  loved  him. 

The  facts  are  these  :  In  the  winter  of  1865-1866 
the  robbery  of  certain  sums  of  money  occurred  in 
^'B"  Company,  United  States  Corps  of  Cadets.  It 
is  unnecessary  to  refer  to  the  facts  other  than  that 
after  repeated  robberies  and  some  rather  crude  de- 
tective work,  one  evening,  at  undress  parade  in  the 
area  of  barracks.  Cadet  Boyd  was  ignominiously 
brought  before  the  battalion  of  cadets  with  a  pla- 
card of  "  Thief  "  on  his  breast,  drummed  out  of  the 
corps,  mobbed  and.  maltreated.  A  most  intense 
state  of  excitement  prevailed  on  the  post,  and  the 
strongest  discipline  was  enforced,  the  cadets  being 
summarily  quelled  in  any  riotous  actions.  Inno- 
cent parties  had  their  names  dragged  into  the 
affair,  and  poor  Boyd  finished  his  cadetship  gener- 
ally cut  in  the  corps,  and  endured,  till  he  gradu- 
ated, a  life  which  was  a  living  hell. 

The  scandal  followed  him  to  his  regiment,  and 
years  of  exemplary  behavior  were  needed  to  enable 
him  to  live  down  his  trouble.  His  quiet,  manly  ob- 
stinacy in  clinging  to  the  army  is  explained  by  his 
innocence.  To  the  honorable  but  hot-headed  men 
who  so  long  made  Boyd  carry  the  burden  of  an- 
other's crime,  deepest  regret  must  ever  attend  the 


APPENDIX  A,  '       32T 


memories  of  this  affair.  It  is  a  matter  of  strange 
remark  that  the  guilty  man  who  made  Boyd  suffer 
for  him  —  John  Joseph  Casey,  of  the  class  off 
1868  —  was  accidentally  shot  at  drill,  by  a  soldier, 
at  Fort  Washington,  Md.,  March  24,  1869,  within 
nine  months  after  his  apparently  honorable  gradu- 
ation. The  careers  and  untimely  end  of  several 
who  bore  down  on  the  suffering  man  of  whom  we 
speak  show  some  strange  and  continued  sadness  or 
burdens  of  expiation.  It  is  all  over  now.  The 
wandering  squadron  passing  poor  Boyd's  grave 
may  dip  the  colors  to  a  man  whose  eyes  closed  in 
honor,  true  to  himself,  to  his  family,  his  corps  and 
to  the  dear  old  flag  that  he  served  so  patiently,  so 
quietly,  and  so  well.     God  rest  his  soul !     Amen. 

His  innocence  was  publicly  established  as  fol- 
lows :  In  the  winter  of  1867-1868,  Cadet  Casey, 
while  sick  in  the  hospital,  confessed  to  his  room- 
mate, Cadet  Hamilton  (now  dead),  that  he  (Casey) 
had  stolen  the  moneys  for  which  poor  Boyd  had 
suffered  the  loss  of  name  and  fame. 

[The  records  show  that  Casey  was  in  the  hospital 
from  Jan.  24  to  Jan.  31,  1868,  suffering  from  de- 
mentia. He  was  so  ill  that  his  classmates  took 
turns  in  nursing  him.     One  night,  in  his  delirium, 


328  APPENDIX  A. 


he  spoke  of  the  Boyd  affair.  Hamilton  happened 
to  be  with  him  at  the  time.  The  next  morning, 
when  Casey  was  again  in  a  conscious  .condition, 
Hamilton  told  him  what  he  had  said.  It  was  then 
that  Casey  confessed  his  part  of  the  conspiracy.  If 
it  had  not  been  for  Casey's  illness  the  facts  above 
narrated  would  never,  in  all  human  probability, 
have  come  to  light.  —  Sec.  Assn.'] 

It  is  unnecessary  for  the  writer  to  state  why 
Hamilton  kept  this  awful  secret  locked  in  his 
breast  from  1867-1868  until  he  died,  Jan.  22,  1872, 
from  consumption ;  but  he  did,  alas  for  him ! 
Casey  had  peculiar  temptations.  Private  matters 
and  a  hounding  blackmail  pressed  him  for  money, 
which  he  stole  from  rich  cadets.  The  cause  was 
a  concealed  marriage  of  Casey's,  that  if  known 
would  have  voided  his  cadetship  and  destroyed  his 
chance  for  social  elevation. 

Poor  Boyd  lived  alone  in  a  room  on  the  third 
floor,  third  division,  "B"  Company.  Casey  lived 
directly  opposite,  and  concealed  marked  money  in 
Boyd's  books,  which  caused  Boyd  to  be  suspected 
as  the  thief  of  all  the  money  previously  stolen. 

Hamilton,  the  confidant,  feared  his  room-mate  of 
four  years,  erred,  and  kept  silent,  as  far  as- 1  know, 


APPENDIX  A.  329 


until  June,  1871.  At  the  St.  Marc  Hotel,  Wash- 
ington, D.C.,  Lieutenant  Hamilton,  in  view  of  his 
approaching  death,  communicated  to  me  his  knowl- 
edge of  Casey's  confession  and  of  Boyd's  inno- 
cence. I  was  shocked,  and  at  once  communicated 
the  facts  to  the  then  Lieut.  0.  B.  Boyd,  on  the 
frontier.  On  my  return,  after  three  years  of  ab- 
sence in  the  Orient,  Europe,  and  the  South,  I  dis- 
covered, in  a  conversation  with  Captain  Price  of 
the  engineers,  that  full  justice  had  not  been  done. 
Duplicate  affidavits  were  immediately  made  by  me 
and  forwarded  to  Captain  Boyd  and  another  per- 
son interested.  I  received  a  letter  from  Boyd 
thanking  me  for  my  efforts  —  a  letter  that  has 
made  me  always  happy,  and  which,  I  regret,  is 
stored  with  valuable  archives  where  I  cannot  at 
once  find  it.  It  speaks  of  his  struggles,  and  pleas- 
antly says  that  his  character  needs  no  present 
backing,  but  that  a  time  will   come  when  I  may 

1  speak  and  tell  all,  if  I  think  it  will  please  those 

'  who  value  him. 

It  was  in  Siberia  that  I  received  the  letter  ask- 
ing me  to  commit  these  facts  to  paper,  and  by 
hazard  I  found  a  stray  copy  of  the  Army  and  Navy 
which  contained  a  report  of  Captain  Boyd's  honor- 
able obsequies. 


330  APPENDIX  A. 


From  the  Pacific  I  pen  the  last  tribute  to  a  man 
of  much-tried  worth.  The  subject  brings  back 
painful  memories  of  two  men  whom  I  loved  and 
honored  in  my  cadet  days  —  Casey  and  Hamilton. 
I  am  proud  to  state  here  that  two  of  my  class 
never  cut  Boyd,  and  several  others  in  the  corps  did 
him  some  act  of  kindness  in  the  awful  silence  of 
two  years.  With  pride  I  recall  that  the  officers 
of  the  post  did  full  justice  to  his  barren  rights, 
and  that  the  old  and  faithful  servants  of  the 
Academy  treated  him  with  a  discerning  kindness 
which  is  a  wreath  of  honor  on  their  silent  graves. 
I  will  not  refer  to  one  affection  which  cheered  him 
— there  are  things  too  sacred  for  words. 

It  is  all  over !  There  is  only  one  name  off  the 
duty  roster;  an  empty  chair;  a  lonely  grave;  an 
old  sword  hanging  idly  in  the  sunshine  some- 
where ;  a  riderless  horse ;  a  void  in  the  little 
family  circle  which  knew  and  loved  the  man  who 
is  no  more. 

It  is  well  to  know  that  his  name  is  mentioned 
with  honor  and  respect;  that  the  burden  of  an- 
other's crime  has  been  cast  from  him,  and  that 
Time  will  quietly  and  in  honor  carpet  the  grave  of 
the  honest  soldier  with  "  the  grass  which  springeth 
under  the  rain  which  raineth  on  the  just  and  the 


APPENDIX  A.  331 


unjust  alike."  I  believe  restitution  of  honor  and 
public  consideration  has,  in  so  far  as  possible,  been 
fully  made.  I  look  back  sadly  on  my  waning 
youth,  as  I  think  of  this  story,  its  actors,  and 
that  — 

*'  The  saint  who  enjoyed  the  communion  of  heaven, 
The  sinner  who  dared  to  remain  unforgiven, 
The  wise  and  the  foolish,  the  guilty  and  just, 
Have  quietly  mingled  their  bones  with  the  dust." 


Richard  H.  Savage, 

Class  of  ISGS. 


APPENDIX   B. 


AMERICAN   CIVILIZATION. 

AS  VIEWED   BY  WEEPING   WEASEL,  LATE   CHIEF 
OF   THE   KIOWA8. 

A  LECTURE 

Written  by  Captain  Orsemus  Bronson  Boyd,  in  behalf 
of  the  Charitable  Enterprises  of  the  Ladies  connected 

with   the Church  of  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  also 

given    before    the   Masonic    Lodge   in   San   Antonio, 
Texas. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen  :  —  In  the  first  place  I  am 
not  a  lecturer.  I  make  this  announcement  now, 
j  for  fear  you  may  not  discover  it  before  I  shall  have 
finished,  or  if  the  fact  should  be  rudely  thrust 
upon  you,  I  will  have  pleaded  guilty  in  advance  to 
the  indictment. 

When,  a  boy,  I  took  part  in  the  debating  clubs 
that  were  held  in  those  old  red  schoolhouses  where 
all  great  affairs  of  state  —  wars,  revolution,  poll- 


APPENDIX  B.  333 


tics  and  finance  —  were  discussed  with  the  free- 
dom of  boys  and  the  ignorance  of  savages,  there 
was  one  question  which  never  failed  to  elicit  ample 
talk :  "  Resolved,  that  anticipation  is  better  than 
reality,"  and  on  that  question  I  was  always  in  the 
affirmative.     In  an  hour  you  will  all  be  with  me. 

I  shall  tell  no  tale  of  personal  adventure ;  noth- 
ing worth  recording  ever  happened  to  me.  Dio- 
genes, with  a  lantern,  and  open  sunlight  to  aid  the 
lantern,  in  the  city  of  Athens  failed  to  find  an 
honest  man.  An  untutored  Indian  from  the  plains 
of  Texas,  amid  the  common  events  and  every  day 
life  of  the  Pale-faces,  discovered  that  their  vaunted 
civilization  was  a  myth,  and  their  boasted  culture 
a  delusion.  Let  us  at  once  annihilate  the  Indian 
and  discredit  Diogenes. 

In  common  with  all  Christians  of  our  kind,  we 
believe  that  it  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through 
the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  a  rich  man  to  inherit 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  There  are  other  Chris- 
tians who  believe  that  it  is  easier  for  a  rich  man  to 
go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  a  camel 
to  inherit  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Who  shall  say 
which  Christian  is  the  Christian  ? 

Before  the  brothers  of  this  noble  profession,  this 
mystic  tie,  whose  deeds  have  been  known  in  every 


334  APPENDIX  B. 


land  and  under  every  sun  —  amid  burning  flames 
and  on  frozen  mountains,  on  swollen  rivers  and 
tempestuous  seas,  by  the  bedsides  of  dying  princes, 
in  the  cabins  of  poverty,  desolation,  and  disease, 
in  public  and  private,  to  bond  and  free,  to  all 
brothers  who  own  its  symbolic  rites  —  to  all 
brothers  and  wives  of  the  brothers,  I  can  more 
freely  speak  of  one  who,  though  ignorant  and  a 
savage,  still  found  in  his  own  faith  and  his  own 
civilization  his  own  Christianity. 

Eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  in  Capernaum  by 
the  Sea  of  Galilee,  a  man,  whom  the  charity  of 
God  had  sent  into  the  world,  was  preaching  to  the 
people.  And  a  certain  lawyer,  willing  to  justify 
himself,  stood  up  and  asked,  "  Who  is  my  neigh- 
bor ?  "     Promptly  came  the  answer : 

"  A  certain  man  went  down  from  Jerusalem  to 
Jericho,  and  fell  among  thieves,  which  strij^ped 
him  of  his  raiment,  and  wounded  him,  and  de- 
parted, leaving  him  half  dead. 

"And  by  chance  there  came  down  a  certain 
priest  that  way,  and  when  he  saw  him  he  passed 
by  on  the  other  side. 

"  And  likewise  a  Levite,  when  he  was  at  the 
place,  came  and  looked  on  him,  and  passed  by  on 
the  other  side. 


APPENDIX  B.  335 


"  But  a  certain  Samaritan  as  he  journeyed,  came 
where  he  was ;  and  when  he  saw  him,  he  had  com- 
passion on  him. 

"  And  went  to  him,  and  bound  up  his  wounds, 
pouring  in  oil  and  wine,  and  set  him  on  his  own 
beast,  and  brought  him  to  an  inn,  and  took  care  of 
him. 

"  And  on  the  morrow  when  he  departed,  he  took 
out  two  pence,  and  gave  them  to  the  host,  and  said 
unto  him.  Take  care  of  him :  and  whatsoever  thou 
spendest  more,  when  I  come  again,  I  will  repay  thee. 

"  Which  now  of  these  three,  thinkest  thou,  was 
neighbor  unto  him  that  fell  among  the  thieves  ?  " 

On  the  boundless  prairies  of  the  West  and 
South,  that  are  in  extent  empires,  the  white  man 
has  learned  that  devotion  which  Nature,  in  her 
grandest  forms,  most  surely  teaches.  He  has 
learned  that  tolerance  which  men  unfettered  by 
the  bonds  of  conventional  society  most  quickly 
learn. 
1  Two  years  ago  last  July  I  found  myself  en- 
camped upon  the  banks  of  the  Red  River  of 
Texas,  with  forty  horsemen  as  scouts  under  my 
command.  Like  a  silver  thread  the  river  ran  a 
thousand  feet  beneath  us,  through  the  wildest  and 
most  precipitous  canon. 


336  APPENDIX  B. 


At  four  o'clock  one  morning,  a  Seminole  Indian, 
attached  to  the  command,  brought  me  intelligence 
that  six  hours  previously  six  horses,  four  lodges, 
one  sick  Indian,  five  squaws,  and  several  children 
had  descended  into  the  canon  one  mile  above  us, 
and  were  then  lost  to  sight.     I  asked : 

"  Had  they  provisions  ? '' 

"  Yes ;  corn  and  buffalo  meat." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  Because  I  saw  corn  scattered  upon  one  side  of 
the  trail,  and  flies  had  gathered  upon  a  piece  of 
buffalo  meat  on  the  other." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  one  of  the  Indians  is 
sick?" 

''Because  the  lodge  poles  were  formed  into  a 
travois,  that  was  drawn  by  a  horse  blind  in  one 
eye." 

"  How  do  you  know  the  horse  was  half  blind  ?  " 

"  Because,  while  all  the  other  horses  grazed  upon 
both  sides  of  the  trail,  this  one  ate  only  the  grass 
that  grew  upon  one  side." 

"  How  do  you  know  the  sick  one  was  a  man  ?  " 

"  Because  when  a  halt  was  made  all  the  women 
gathered  around  him." 

"  Of  what  tribe  are  they  ?  " 

"  Of  the  Kiowa  tribe." 


APPENDIX  B.  337 


And  thus,  with  no  ray  of  intelligence  upon  his 
stolid  face,  the  Seminole  Indian  stood  before  me 
and  told  all  I  wished  to  know  concerning  our  new 
neighbors,  whom  he  had  never  seen. 

Two  hours  from  that  time,  not  knowing  whether 
they  were  friends  or  enemies,  I  was  carefully 
studying,  from  the  bluff  above,  through  a  field- 
glass,  the  Indian  camp. 

The  lodges  had  all  been  erected,  and  were  gay 
with  the  robes  of  the  buffalo  of  the  plains,  the 
prairie  wolf,  and  the  coyote.  A  great  war  bonnet 
of  eagles'  feathers  hung  before  the  door  of  the 
principal  tepee,  denoting  that  its  occupant  was  a 
chief.  From  the  lodge  pole  floated  a  blue  streamer, 
bearing  the  rude  device,  in  red  paint,  of  a  whip- 
poor-will  attacking  a  rattlesnake ;  this  told  me  that 
he  was  the  chief  of  all  the  Kiowas.  I  knew  the 
man.  I  had  met  him,  with  many  others  of  his 
tribe,  one  night  several  years  before,  one  hundred 
miles  below  on  the  same  river,  and  the  meeting 
had  not  been  pleasant  to  either  of  us. 

In  fact,  several  hours  had  been  required  in  which 
to  adjust  our  differences  ;  and  as  the  chief  left  me 
amid  the  crack  of  rifles  and  the  swish  of  arrows, 
I  heard  his  clear  voice  solemnly  declaring  in  Span- 
ish  that  he  would  surely  come  again  "when  the 


838  APPENDIX  B, 


moon  was  young."  'Fate  was  too  strong  even  for 
the  chief  of  the  Kiowas  ;  he  never  came ;  his  tribe 
had  been  conquered  and  were  at  .peace. 

Keturning  to  my  cantonment,  I  hastily  saddled 
a  small  detachment,  and  descending  the  almost 
precipitous  sides  of  the  gorge  reached  the  Indian 
encampment,  and  dismounting,  raised  the  buffalo 
skin  that  hung  before  the  entrance  of  the  principal 
lodge,  and  stood  un summoned  in  the  presence  of 
the  chief.  An  old  and  shriveled  man,  with  nerve- 
less arms  and  sunken  eyes,  from  which  the  fire  of 
battle  had  forever  fled,  lay  upon  a  rude  couch  of 
skins.  He  gave  courteous  greeting,  said  he  knew 
me,  and  even  spoke  my  name.  As  I  sat  upon  the 
ground  at  his  side  he  told  me  how,  for  weeks 
before  our  previous  meeting  to  which  I  have 
alluded,  he  had  been  upon  my  trail  when  I  marched 
over  the  short,  crisp  buffalo  grass  of  the  staked- 
plains.  He  had  known  my  personal  habits,  the 
disposition  of  the  camp  for  defense  at  night,  the 
number  of  men,  animals,  and  wagons ;  in  fact,  all 
that  I  had  known  myself. 

The  chief  then  told  me  that  he  was  stricken  by 
death,  and  should  soon  be  in  the  presence  of  the 
Great  Spirit,  roaming  the  happy  hunting  grounds 
of  his  tribe,  and  asked  that  he  be  allowed  to  die 
in  peace. 


APPENDIX  B.  339 


Day  after  day  I  visited  the  dying  warrior,  who 
related  from  time  to  time,  as  his  strength  per- 
mitted, the  story  of  his  life  and  the  story  of  his 
tribe.  He  recounted  the  wrongs  they  had  suffered, 
and  the  wrongs  they  had  done.  He  told  me  of 
their  customs  and  traditions,  their  marriages, 
births,  and  deaths.  '  For  days  he  talked,  sometimes 
in  the  soft  Spanish  tongue,  often  in  the  beautiful 
sign  language  of  the  plain  Indian. 

In  my  youth  I  lived  near,  and  of  course  read  the 
romantic  creations  of  that  clever  gentleman  who 
resided  upon  the  shores  of  the  beautiful  Coopers- 
town  Lake.  I  had  also  read  the  works  of  a  novel- 
ist from  the  South  who  had  invested  the  Indian 
character  with  all  the  warmth  and  color  of  his 
native  skies,  with  all  the  romance  that  belonged  to 
his  Southern  forests,  gay  with  flowers  and  poetic 
with  festoons  of  clinging  moss. 

In  consequence  of  this  I  had  come  to  look  upon 
the  Indian  as  all  that  was  noble,  grand,  and  heroic 
in  war,  all  that  was  gentle,  tender,  and  true  in 
peace.  I  had  read  with  breathless  interest  of  his 
loves,  courtships,  and  marriages.  I  had  admired 
his  keenness  of  vision  upon  the  trail,  his  untiring 
energy,  fleetness  of  foot,  immunity  from  fatigue, 
his    long    fasts,    and    the   halo  of   romance   that 


840  APPENDIX  B. 


seemed  to  ever  encircle  him.  I  considered  him  a 
"  Chevalier  Bayard/'  a  model  of  physical-beauty, 
who  resembled,  perhaps,  the  dying  gladiator. 

My  boyhood's  dream  was  rudely  broken,  and  like 
many  another  boyish  illusion  it  disappeared  in  a 
day.  I  found  the  Indian  dirty,  unwashed,  and 
tieacherous,  a  prey  to  the  lowest  instincts  and  the 
most  revolting  cruelty. 

He  was  no  "  Chevalier  Bayard,'^  and  did  not 
resemble  the  dying  gladiator.  The  romance,  color, 
light  and  shades  —  all  were  gone,  and  I  learned 
that  the  Indian  and  our  treatment  of  him  were 
deformities  and  blots  upon  our  fair  land  and  our 
modern  civilization.  Between  the  law  of  force 
upon  one  side,  and  the  law  of  civilization  upon  the 
other,  the  Indian  has  been  tossed  like  an  unripe 
apple,  and  has  not  known  which  to  obey. 

One  night  the  old  Indian  chief  died,  and  the 
next  morning,  with  such  rude  and  simple  rites  as 
obtained  among  the  Kiowas,  we  carried  him  to  his 
last  resting  place  upon  the  platform  which  had 
been  erected. for  the  purpose. 

The  dawning  light  was  flushing  rosy  red  in  the 
blushing  East ;  in  the  West  the  darkness  of  the 
night  still  lingered.  The  songs  of  a  thousand  birds 
and  the  chirp  of  millions  of  insects  broke  in  some 


APPENDIX  B.  341 


measui-e  the  eternal  silence  of  those  great  plains. 
The  buzzard,  a  mere  speck  in  the  sky,  with  the 
eye  of  the  eagle  waited  impatiently  for  his  pi*ey. 
Herds  of  timid  antelopes,  with  great  startled  eyes, 
watched  us  from  a  distance,  ready  to  dash  away  on 
fleetest  foot  at  a  moment's  warning.  Troops  of 
buffaloes  were  slaking  their  thirst  in  the  rippling 
river.  The  great  cat-fish,  with  strong  leaps,  rose 
iKHlily  from  the  water  in  pursuit  of  prey,  and  fell 
back  witli  a  spLash. 

All  animal  life  was  awake  with  the  flush  of  the 
morning;  and  as  the  sun's  disk  api)eared  above 
the  horizon's  dead  level,  we  laid  the  chief  upon  the 
platform,  with  his  face  turned  toward  the  "  God  of 
the  Dome."  His  body  was  wrapped  in  a  red 
blanket  stoutly  bound  about  with  cords.  He  hatl 
been  brg-ve  in  battle,  so  all  his  war  implements 
were  laid  by  his  side.  His  great  war  bonnet  of 
eagle's  feathers  was  hung  ai)on  one  of  the  up- 
right iK)les.  His  horses  were  slain  by  the  scaffold. 
Then,  to  the  accompaniment  of  low-voiced  chants, 
his  widows  l>egan  their  work  of  scarification  with 
knives  upon  the  lower  extremities.  When  that 
was  finished  we  left  him  to  the  hush  of  those  vast 
plains. 

That  night  in  one  of  the  lodges  a  great  great 


342  APPENDIX  B. 


granddaughter  but  a  few  months  old  died.  The 
child  was  placed  in  a  frail  burial  canoe,  covered 
with  trailing  vines  that  had  grown  upon  the  river's 
banks,  and  gently  cast  adrift.  No  doubt  the  tiny 
bark  was  soon  caught  in  rippling  eddies,  or  its 
course  stopped  by  stout  rushes,  and  in  time  its  life- 
less occupant  returned  to  the  dust  from  which  it 
had  sprung. 

After  the  obsequies  of  the  dead  chief  I  returned 
to  camp,  and  in  order  to  divert  my  mind  sought  to 
fatigue  my  body  by  stalking  buffaloes  all  day.  But 
I  had  gained  a  new  insight  into  the  Indian  char- 
acter, and  one  which  enabled  me  to  respect  it. 

That  evening,  lying  in  a  hammock  under  the 
awning  of  my  tent,  as  the  first  shades  of  darkness 
came  creeping  over  the  plains,  there  struck  upon 
my  ears,  borne  upward  from  the  gorge  below,  the 
chant  of  Indian  women  for  their  dead.  Its  tones 
were  the  rhythm  of  sorrow  and  the  notes  of  woe. 
Until  midnight  the  songs  continued,  now  loud,  then 
sinking  to  the  faint  whisperings  of  the  wind.  Next 
morning  the  lodges  were  in  ashes,  and  nothing  was 
left  of  our  strange  neighbors  but  the  dead  chief 
upon  his  platform,  and  the  footprints  of  their  moc- 
casins as  they  traveled  straight  toward  the  North 
Star. 


APPENDIX  B.  343 


These  events  made  so  strange  and  strong  an 
impression  upon  me,  that  I  propose  telling  you 
this  evening,  in  as  simple  words  as  possible,  the 
story  of  the  pilgrimage  of  Weeping  Weasel,  late 
chief  of  all  the  Kiowas.  I  shall  dwell  longer  upon 
his  attempts  to  introduce  the  white  man's  civiliza- 
tion in  his  tribe,  what  he  saw,  and  the  inferences 
drawn  therefrom,  than  upon  all  the  other  incidents 
he  related.  The  conclusions  at  which  Weeping 
Weasel,  with  the  intellect  of  an  Indian  and  the 
sagacity  of  a  politician,  arrived,  are  not  necessarily 
mine ;  and  if  their  recital  should  wound  any  one 
within  the  sound  of  my  voice,  I  would  beg  them  to 
remember  that  they  were  told  me  by  a  dying  In- 
dian chief,  as  he  lay  in  his  lodge  upon  the  banks  of 
the  Eed  River  flowing  peacefully  through  the  great 
staked-plains  of  Texas. 

Years  and  years  before  —  even  for  hundreds  of 
summers  —  the  Kiowas  had  been  a  powerful  nation. 
When  the  tent  of  the  chief  was  planted,  there  clus- 
tered around  it  five  thousand  lodges.  The  tribe 
was  rich  in  the  implements  of  war,  owned  thou- 
sands of  horses,  were  mighty  himters,  bold  and 
aggressive  warriors.  Ko  footprint  of  man  or  ani- 
mal, no  upturned  stone,  broken  twig  or  bended 
grass  escaped  the  keen  vision  of  their  scouts. 


844  APPENDIX  n. 


From  El  Paso,  -where  the  Eio  Grande  del  Norte 
commences  its  westward  course,  and  swings  in  the 
arc  of  a  great  circle  until  completed  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Pecos,  where  it  again  flows  south,  they 
owned  the  lands  of  which  this  river  formed  the 
Western  boundary  j  thence  south  across  the  "  Dev- 
iPs  Kiver"  and  the  Nueces,  to  where  it  empties 
into  beautiful  Matagorda  Bay.  On  the  east  they 
had  fought  for  supremacy  with  tlie  Comanches, 
and  been  victorious.  They  had  made  the  Tonka- 
was  a  nation  of  beggars  and  old  women.  Prom 
across  the  border  they  had  repelled  invasions 
of  the  Kickapoos  and  Lipan-Apaches.  They  had 
marched,  an  irresistible  army,  across  the  pine  ridges 
and  cedar  mountains  of  New  Mexico,  and  fear- 
lessly confronted  the  Warm  Springs  and  Mescalero 
tribes.  The  Utes  of  Colorado  had  descended  from 
their  mountain  fastnesses,  battled  with  them  in 
the  open  plain,  and  been  defeated.  They  had 
measured  lances  with  and  beaten  the  Tonto  and 
Jicarrila  —  Apaches  of  Arizona.  They  had  de- 
stroyed the  great  wheat-fields  on  the  Gila  River  of 
the  Pima  and  Maricopa  tribes.  The  Yumas  had 
heard  their  battle-cry.  They  had  pushed  their 
conquests  amongst  the  Pi-Utes  and  Shoshones  of 
Nevada,  and  from  thence  had  marched  against  the 


APPENDIX  B.  345 


Bannocks  of  Idaho,  and  the  Nez  Perces  of  Oregon. 
Their  spoils  of  war  had  been  great. 

But  in  course  of  time  the  hands  of  all  other 
tribes  were  raised  against  them,  and  through  dis- 
aster and  defeat  they  had  been  reduced  to  the 
occupancy  of  only  the  great  plains  of  Western 
Texas. 

At  that  time  Weeping  Weasel  became  their 
chief.  He  was  then  in  the  prime  of  manhood. 
The  nerveless  arm  that  I  saw  in  his  lodge  could 
then  draw  the  six-foot  arrow  to  its  head,  and  make 
the  cord  of  deer  sinews  writhe  and  moan  as  in 
pain. 

He  saw  that  peace  and  industry  would  perhaps 
be  of  great  benefit  to  his  tribe,  and  after  much 
communion  with  himself  and  consultation  with  the 
elders,  concluded  at  no  distant  day  to  turn  his 
face  toward  the  rising  sun,  and  learn  the  strange 
and  barbarous  ways  of  the  Pale-faces.  He  had 
been  told  they  were  as  numberless  as  the  leaves  of 
the  forest  when  the  hot  sirocco  that  comes  from 
the  southern  islands  shakes  them  with  its  fiery 
breath. 

Marching  over  these  great  and  silent  plains 
under  the  blazing  sun,  he  had  learned  in  some 
instinctive  way  that  the  Pale-faces   would  build 


346  APPENDIX  B. 


cities  there,  and  people  them  with  busy  men  and 
women. 

Weeping  Weasel  had  seen  the  Pongo  or  smoke- 
man  in  the  North  that  traversed  its  iron  rails 
faster  than  his  fleetest  pony  could  gallop.  He  had 
seen  a  small  wire  stretched  on  poles  through  which 
he  could  but  dimly  comprehend  that  the  men  who 
lived  at  the  rising  sun  talked  with  their  brothers 
who  lived  at  the  setting  sun. 

But  before  starting  on  a  journey  so  fraught 
with  peril,  he  thought  best  to  call  to  his  aid 
teachers  —  those  of  good  repute  among  the  Pale- 
faces. Through  a  missionary  he  secured  the  ser- 
vices of  two  devotees  from  Massachusetts,  who 
came  and  opened  a  school  for  the  boys  and  girls  of 
his  tribe. 

It  is  true  that  in  visage  and  mien  these  teachers 
did  not  resemble  the  dusky  beauties  of  the  Kiowa 
race.  The  ringlets  worn  at  the  side  of  the  face, 
the  eyes  that  looked  through  strange  pieces  of 
glass,  the  mysterious  scrolls  which  they  held  in 
their  hands,  and  the  souncfing  fall  of  a  heavy  foot 
instead  of  the  dewy  touch  of  the  moccasin,  were 
not  calculated  to  inspire  love  and  respect  from  un- 
tutored savages. 

Still,  with  the  devotion  of  their  calling,  and  in 


APPENDIX  B.  347 


tlieir  desire  to  do  good,  these  mistaken  and  mis- 
guided women  taught  on.  But  one  fatal  day  they 
were  surprised  by  Weeping  Weasel  while  teaching 
the  children  that  the  world  is  round.  The  Kiowas 
believed  it  to  be  flat.  Weeping  Weasel,  with  the 
decision  worthy  a  general  of  iron  nerve  and  un- 
flinching courage  in  the  right,  seized  and  burned 
them  at  the  stake. 

He  scattered  their  ashes  to  the  four  winds  of 
heaven,  and  in  a  long  address  to  the  Historical 
Society  of  Boston,  asked  that  others  with  less 
pernicious  doctrines  be  sent.  It  is  perhaps  need- 
less to  state  that  even  the  old  Bay  State,  with  its 
advanced  ideas  and  unyielding  principles,  could 
find  no  more  volunteer  missionaries  for  that  work. 
Therefore  Weeping  Weasel  must  needs  start  upon 
his  pilgrimage  toward  the  rising  sun. 

The  night  previous  to  his  departure  all  the 
tribes  assembled,  and  with  the  great  Southern 
Cross  gleaming  and  burning,  they  performed  the 
sacred  rites  and  mysteries  of  the  sun  dance.  A 
hundred  fires  flamed  brightly.  Amid  the  yells  of 
warriors  and  the  shrieks  of  those  fainting  from 
self-inflicted  tortures,  there  arose  the  monotonous 
chants  of  the  women  as  they  prayed  for  the  safety 
of  their  chief. 


848  APPENDIX  B. 


At  break  of  day  he  left  them,  and  a  great  silence 
fell  upon  the  tribe  as  they  mournfully  sought 
their  separate  lodges. 

Day  by  day  Weeping  Weasel  traveled  north 
and  east,  sleeping  at  night  under  the  stars,  his 
food  procured  by  bow  and  arrow,  his  drink  taken 
from  limpid  streams. 

At  last  he  came  to  the  country  of  the  "  Smoke- 
man,"  and  taking  passage  was  borne  swiftly  over 
mountains  and  through  the  valleys  to  some  bluffs 
upon  the  boundary  of  a  great  State,  where  other 
Indians  had  held  their  councils  years  before,  and 
where  he  determined  to  commence  his  researches 
and  investigations. 

His  pilgrimage  becoming  known,  the  chief  was 
hospitably  lodged  in  the  house  of  a  Christian 
gentleman  of  that  town  who  was  a  land  agent. 
Among  the  Kiowas  the  title  to  all  lands  and  the 
occupancy  thereof  were  considered  sacred.  Even 
in  their  forays  against  other  tribes  they  con- 
tended for  supremacy,  not  for  a  title  to  the  coun- 
try. Indeed,  so  strong  was  this  honesty  implanted 
in  the  breast  of  the  savage  and  barbarous  Indian, 
that  once,  after  a  great  battle  with  the  Comanches, 
rather  than  do  violence  to  this  principle  he  had 
ceded  to  them  a  thousand  square  miles  of  his  own 


APPENDIX  B.  349 

country,  deeming  that  better  than  to  question  such 
undoubted  right. 

The  land  agent  showed  him,  in  his  office,  maps  of 
lands  which  bore  strong  resemblance  to  those  oc- 
cupied by  his  tribe.  Upon  leaving,  this  same 
Christian  gentleman  followed  him  across  the  State 
to  a  city  with  a  great  bridge  and  offered  to  sell,  be- 
seeching him  to  buy,  for  a  merely  nominal  sum, 
thousands  and  thousands  of  acres  upon  which  his 
tribe  had  dwelt  from  time  immemorial.  Weeping 
Weasel  determined  not  to  incorporate  the  land 
usages  of  the  Pale-faces  amongst  his  people. 

In  the  towns  and  camps  of  the  Kiowas,  great  at- 
tention had  been  paid  to  the  sanitary  conditions  of 
their  immediate  surroundings.  This  was  neces- 
sary for  the  life  and  health  of  individual  members 
of  the  tribe. 

In  that  city  by  the  bridge  he  found  the  people  in 
a  certain  locality  stricken  unto  death  by  a  strange 
pestilence.  Upon  investigating  the  cause,  he 
learned  they  all  had  drank  water  from  a  certain 
well.  Weeping  Weasel  concluded  that,  if  he  were 
the  chief  in  this  locality,  there  would  be  sewers 
and  water-mains ;  or  failing  these,  the  inhabitants 
who  refused  or  were  too  indolent  to  carry  water 
from  the  river  would  receive  a  punishment,  com- 


350  APPENDIX  B. 


pared  with  which  the  cholera  would  be  a  lingering 
and  painless  death.  But  Weeping  Weasel  was  an 
untaught,  rude,  and  barbarous  savage. 

The  "  Father  of  Waters  "  next  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  this  curious  pilgrim.  Compared  with  all 
other  rivers  he  had  ever  seen,  it  was  as  the  sun  to 
the  faintest  twinkling  star.  He  worshiped  it  as  a 
god.  Day  by  day  he  sat  upon  the  banks,  watched 
it  through  all  changing  moods,  loved  it  best  when 
angry  currents  brought  down  yellow  mud  from  the 
far  North,  and  worshiped  it  most  when  the  set- 
ting sun's  ocher  light  fell  upon  its  surging  waters, 
enveloping  beautiful  islands. 

There  floated  upon  its  broad  expanse  number- 
less strange  monsters,  propelled  in  some  mysterious 
way.  Weeping  Weasel  found  they  carried  grain, 
fruit,  and  other  produce  from  one  part  of  the 
country  to  another,  and  then  first  began  to  under- 
stand the  law  of  trade  —  of  barter  and  sale.  He 
took  passage  upon  one  of  these  palaces,  descending 
a  hundred  miles ;  saw  the  busy  towns  upon  the 
banks  of  his  idol,  filled,  as  he  thought,  with  crazy 
men  and  women.  Why  all  this  rush,  ceaseless  ac- 
tivity and  strife  for  wealth,  he  questioned. 

Returning  at  night,  and  standing  upon  the  deck 
with  head  uncovered  in  the  reverent  attitude  a 


APPENDIX  B.  351 


savage  always  assumes  when  awe-stricken  in  the 
presence  of  nature,  he  suddenly  became  conscious 
of  a  strange  throbbing  through  every  fiber  of  the 
monster.  He  also  saw  abreast  another  monster  all 
aglow  with  lire ;  men  were  shouting  and  running 
like  mad!  Every  few  minutes  its  huge  furnace 
doors  were  opened,  and  the  blazing  fires  fed  with 
pitch  and  resin.  The  vessel  shook  in  every  joint ; 
men  and  women  were  crowding  the  deck  all  hoarse 
from  shouting ;  money  was  freely  changing  hands  ; 
from  the  smoke-stacks  long  lines  of  fire  trailed  out 
through  the  darkness  ;  the  gurgling  water  at  the 
bow  was  thrown  in  spray  upon  the  deck.  Suddenly 
there  was  a  terrible  roar,  a  great  flash  of  fire,  then 
darkness  came,  and  Weeping  Weasel  knew  no  more 
until  he  found  himself  safe  upon  the  river's  bank. 
He  was  told  that  a  hundred  men,  women,  and 
children  had  been  sacrificed  that  night.  Burning 
with  anger  and  righteous  indignation,  Weeping 
Weasel  attended  the  coroner's  inquest ;  the  evi- 
dence was  conflicting ;  no  one  in  particular  seemed 
to  have  been  to  blame ;  it  was  an  accident.  Weep- 
ing Weasel  went  forward  to  offer  his  testimony  ;  a 
savage  could  not  take  the  oath.  The  coroner's 
jury  promptly  acquitted  all  of  blame,  even  the 
poor  Indian,  and  the  event  was   soon  forgotten. 


352  APPENDIX  B. 


Weeping  Weasel  determined  that  the  civilization 
of  the  steamboat  should  never  be  introduced  among 
his  people. 

Again  he  turned  his  face  to  the  east,  and  trav- 
eled across  a  great  State  where  the  fields  were 
waving  with  ripening  grain.  Neat  farmhouses  had 
been  erected  on  every  side.  The  corn  and  wheat 
that  he  saw  growing  seemed  to  him  of  no  use. 
Who  would  require  it  ? 

On  these  undulating  plains  with  cattle,  sheep, 
and  horses,  where  peace  and  plenty  seemed  to 
reign  and  the  merry  voices  of  children  were  heard 
at  sunset,  our  untutored  savage  began  to  think 
perhaps  was  the  civilization  of  which  he  had 
dreamed.  Still  he  had  the  Indian's  caution,  and 
arrived  at  conclusions  slowly. 

He  determined  to  abide  three  days  in  the  most 
peaceful  and  quiet  village,  and  chose  one  with  two 
churches,  a  bank,  and  store. 

Upon  awakening  the  first  morning,  he  found 
that  the  store  had  been  robbed  and  burned  during 
the  night.  The  following  day  the  two  churches 
were  in  fierce  dispute  over  some  minor  point  of 
doctrine.  The  third  morning  it  was  learned  that 
the  bank  cashier  had  absconded  with  all  the  funds, 
leaving  hundreds  of  families  destitute. 


APPENDIX  B.  353 


The  Kiowas  did  not  steal  ffiom  each  other ;  the 
simple  faith  in  the  Great  Spirit  which  they  had  in 
common  furnished  no  cause  for  dispute;  and  the 
custodian  of  the  tribe's  public  goods  never  ran 
away  with  them.  They  never  had  thought  of  such 
an  occurrence  ;  and  the  event  was  so  improbable 
that  those  barbarous  savages  had  not  even  pre- 
scribed a  mode  of  punishment  for  it. 

.  Weary,  harassed,  tormented,  and  worn-out  even 
at  the  commencement  of  his  pilgrimage,  Weeping 
Weasel  would  gladly  have  turned  his  face  toward 
the  setting  sun  ;  but  patience  being  one  of  the  great 
virtues  of  the  Kiowas,  he  again  girded  up  his  loins 
and  proceeded  on  his  journey. 

But  a  great  fear  was  coming  upon  his  supersti- 
tious soul.  One  afternoon,  years  before,  while 
hunting.  Weeping  Weasel  had  fallen  asleep  by  the 
side  of  a  spring  that  bubbled  from  beneath  an 
immense  boulder,  which  was  sufficiently  large  to 
protect  him  from  the  sun's  rays.  As  he  slept,  there 
appeared  before  him  the  god  Stone-Shirt,  followed 
by  Pantasco,  or  he  who  robs  the  living ;  Kay- Wit, 
he  who  robs  the  dead  ;  and  Quite-Qui,  who  robs 
both  living  and  dead.  All  passed  before  the  sleep- 
ing warrior,  to  whom  Stone-Shirt  foretold  in  the 
sign  language  this  pilgrimage  and  the  events  which 
would  follow. 


354  APPENDIX  B. 


Weeping  Weasel  ooiild  only  dimly  comprehend 
on  awaking,  that  in  case  of  failnre  he  was  to  be 
turned  into  one  of  the  three  horrid  shapes  shown 
him  by  Stone-Shirt ;  and,  forever  shut  out  from  the 
Great  Spirit  and  the  happy  hunting  grounds,  his 
soul,  without  arms  to  defend  itself,  must  wander 
and  fall  through  unfathomable  space  and  dark- 
ness. 

When  he  saw  the  terrible  anxiety,  woe,  and 
despair  written  upon  the  faces  of  fathers,  mothers, 
and  children  whom  the  vandal  acts  of  the  faithless 
cashier  had  ruined,  Weeping  Weasel  concluded  to 
ever  pray  that  he  be  not  turned  into  the  horrid 
shape  which  steals  from  the  living. 

In  the  robbery  of  the  store  the  proprietor  liad 
been  killed ;  and  as  this  ignorant  savage  gazed  upon 
the  form  of  the  man  who  had  died  while  defending 
his  property.  Weeping  Weasel,  in  the  agony  of  his 
soul,  prayed  to  Stone-Shirt  that  he  be  spared,  both 
in  this  his  mortal,  and  in  his  future  spiritual, 
existence,  assuming  the  form  of  him  who  robs  the 
dead. 

In  the  dispute  between  the  churches,  so  much 
rancor  and  venom  had  been  developed  that  men 
who  were  peacefully  lying,  as  they  had  lain  for 
years,  in   the   little  cemetery  of  the  town,  were 


APPENDIX  B.  355 

publicly  discussed,  and  motives  and  opinions  the 
worst  imputed  to  them.  Happily  they  were  igno- 
rant of  all  this. 

The  living  were  slandered  and  the  dead  vilified. 
Brother  became  the  enemy  of  brother,  sisters  were 
estranged,  husbands  and  wives  separated.  Again 
Weeping  Weasel  besought  Stone-Shirt,  and  with 
the  sweat  of  mortal  agony  upon  his  brow,  that,  if 
he  must,  he  would  face  either  of  the  two  horrible 
shapes  to  be  spared  the  form  of  the  one  who  robs 
both  the  living  and  the  dead. 

Weeping  Weasel  soon  found  himself  in  a  great 
city  by  a  lake.  Here  he  was  lodged  in  the  house 
of  a  gray-haired  and  respectable  man,  a  pillar  of 
the  church,  and  one  who  gave  largely,  in  an  indis- 
criminate way,  to  churches  and  the  poor.  He  had 
no  time  to  investigate  charities,  and  only  contrib- 
uted to  them  because  he  had  money,  or  perhaps  to 
ease  the  gnawings  of  a  conscience  not  altogether 
dormant. 

Weeping  Weasel  was  taken  to  church,  where  ai\ 
eloquent  preacher  held  his  audience  spell-bound  as 
he  impressed  upon  it  the  evils  of  gambling.  To 
all  his  strictures  the  gray-haired  man  responded 
with  fervent  "Ahmens  ! " 

The  next   morning   his   host  escorted  Weeping 


356  APPENDIX  B. 


Weasel  to  a  great  mart  of  trade  in  that  populous 
city.  There  the  savage  Indian  remembered  the 
immense  wheat  and  corn  fields  he  had  passed  as  he 
journeyed  east.  He  saw  the  reverend  gentleman 
who  had  spoken  so  eloquently  on  the  sin  of  gam- 
bling stealthily  enter  a  broker's  office  and  sell 
thousands  and  thousands  of  bushels  of  grain  which 
he  did  not  own,  and  never  would.  His  gray-haired 
entertainer,  who  had  so  graciously  responded  "  Ah- 
men !  "  stood  in  the  center  of  hundreds  of  other 
men,  all  of  whom  were  shouting  and  howling  as  he 
drove  grain  up  and  down  by  a  nod  of  his  head ; 
men  were  ruined  and  families  made  destitute  by 
this  man,  who  called  gambling  a  ^in. 

Weeping  Weasel  learned,  but  it  was  difficult  to 
grasp  the  idea,  that  crops  were  bought  and  sold 
before  they  were  sown ;  that  they  became  a  foot- 
ball upon  "  Change,"  even  while  growing ;  and 
when  finally  sent  to  market  they  ruined  thousands. 
He  found  that  all  this  disastrously  affected  the 
poor  brethren  of  the  Pale-faces,  and  that  children 
were  hungry  in  consequence.  The  chief  decided , 
he  would  grow  only  enough  corn  to  satisfy  the 
wants  of  his  people,  and  would  forever  remain 
silent  in  regard  to  the  gambling  transactions. 

Once  in  the  history  of  the  Kiowa  tribe  an  old 


APPENDIX  B.  357 


and  respected  warrior  had  been  selected  to  build  a 
lodge  in  which  public  meetings  were  to  be  held. 
He  was  to  be  paid  from  the  goods  owned  in 
common.  To  the  dismay  and  horror  of  all,  it  was 
found  that  this  rude  architect  had  not  been  honest ; 
he  had  demanded  more  buffalo  hides  than  were 
needed  for  the  building,  and  the  best  he  had  con- 
veyed to  his  own  lodge,  and  afterward  sold  to  wan- 
dering traders.  When  the  man's  crime  became 
known  he  was  seized,  and  the  elders  sat  around 
him  Avith  stern  visages.  His  trial  was  short;  he 
was  bound  on  the  top  of  the  dishonestly  built 
lodge,  and  met  his  death  in  its  flames. 

Weeping  Weasel  was  shown  a  great  hall  of  jus- 
tice in  that  city  where  the  granite  was  the  finest 
and  the  workmanship  the  most  skillful.  He  was 
told  that  the  builder  had  taken  the  best  granite 
and  sold  it  to  the  traders  among  the  Pale-faces. 
Thinking  this  had  just  been  discovered,  our  barba- 
rous Indian  went  early  the  next  morning  to  witness 
the  destruction  of  the  building  and  cremation  of 
the  dishonest  builder.  He  waited  until  noon,  and 
as  the  building  still  stood  and  no  torch  had  been 
applied,  Weeping  Weasel  turned  sorrowfully  away 
just  in  time  to  see  the  false  builder  drinking 
champagne  at  a  fashionable   restaurant  with  his 


358  APPENDIX  B. 


friends.  This  phase  of  civilization  would  not  do 
for  the  fierce  and  warlike  Kiowas. 

The  right  of  husbands  to  exact  obedience,  and 
the  duty  of  wives  to  obey,  was  one  of  the  laws  of 
the  Kiowas,  as  unalterable  as  if  written  upon 
tablets  of  stone.  So  strongly  was  this  doctrine 
implanted  in  the  breast  of  the  savage  that  once,  in 
a  foray  against  a  Northern  tribe,  a  favorite  squaw 
of  Weeping  Weasel's  had,  in  direct  disobedience  to 
his  command,  followed  a  distance  of  two  days' 
march  and  entered  his  lodge  at  nightfall.  She  was 
beautiful  then ;  but  when  I  saw  her  on  the  banks 
of  the  Red  Eiver  she  wais  disfigured.  A  broken 
collar  bone  and  a  flattened  nose  were  the  results  of 
her  disobedience.  She  returned  quickly  ;  her  only 
cause  of  anxiety  being  that  she  could  not  travel 
nights  for  fear  of  passing  her  own  village. 

But  among  the  Pale-faces  Weeping  Weasel 
learned  that  the  custom  was  different.  He  found 
the  wife  frittered  away  her  time  while  the  husband 
was  at  the  counting-room  or  office.  If  he  com- 
manded her  to  abstain  from  the  round  dances,  she 
danced  them;  if  he  ordered  her  east,  she  went 
west;  if  he  asked  her  to  attend  church,  she  pre- 
ferred the  opera;  if  he  expressed  a  desire  for  the 
sea-shore,  she  chose  the  mountains  of  New  Hamp- 


APPENDIX  B.  359 


shire.  Weeping  Weasel,  with  the  cunning  of  the 
savage,  decided  that  this  should  never  be  told 
the  squaws  of  his  nation.  i 

As  no  man,  intent  upon  a  great  mission,  can  hope 
to  escape  annoyances  and  observation  from  the  idle, 
vulgar,  and  indolent,  this  warrior  from  the  South 
found  that  his  wearing  apparel,  the  dress  of  his 
fathers,  and  the  habit  of  his  tribe,  was  a  matter  of 
curious  comment  even  among  those  busy  people. 
His  clothes  were  good  enough  for  him,  and  there 
were  no  fashion  plates  and  paper  patterns  in  use 
among  the  Kiowas.  Still,  at  a  council  held  at  one 
time  for  the  general  good  of  the  tribe,  a  daring  in- 
novator had,  as  a  protection  against  snakes  while 
marching,  suggested  that  the  boots  of  the  Pale-face 
be  adopted.  A  pair  had  been  found  amongst  their 
war  plunder  at  one  time,  and  had  been  examined 
curiously  by  all  the  tribe. 

In  an  institution  for  the  sick.  Weeping  Weasel 
saw  in  a  padded  cell  a  maniac,  confined  and  chained 
to  the  floor.  He  held  a  wisp  of  straw  in  his  mouth, 
his  clothes  were  torn  to  tatters,  his  hands  cut  and 
bleeding,  foam  issued  from  his  mouth  and  mingled 
with  blasphemy  from  his  lips.  His  cries  for  salva- 
tion from  invisible  enemies  were  piteous.  The 
matted  hair  and  bloodshot  eye  told  the  Indian  a 


360  APPENDIX  B. 


tale  as  graphic  as  the  pictured  rocks  of  his  owr 
tribe.  He  found  that  the  man  was  young,  rich,  and 
respected.  He  asked  the  nature  of  the  disease,  and 
was  carelessly  told  that  it  was  "snakes  in  his 
boots."  Sadly  Weeping  Weasel  asked  that  the 
wire  be  at  once  ordered  to  carry  a  message  to  his 
tribe  for  the  immediate  destruction  of  the  boots 
found  among  their  plunder.  He  also  wondered 
why  the  Pale-faces  did  not  at  once  destroy  the  ser- 
pent whose  terrible  folds  were  coiling  around  the 
youth  of  their  country. 

All  this  time  Weeping  Weasel's  perceptions  were 
being  quickened  and  his  reasoning  powers  en- 
larged. The  Kiowas  had  always  considered  the 
marriage  tie  sacred.  It  was  true  a  man  might 
have  many  wives,  enough  to  do  all  the  work  of 
his  lodge,  while  he  used  his  energies  only  for  war 
or  in  the  pursuit  of  game.  But  once  taken,  the 
man  and  woman  were  bound  for  life.  No  power 
on  earth  could  dissolve  the  tie.  Infidelity  in  either 
was  punished  by  death.  But  in  that  great  city  he 
found  courts  open  as  the  day,  in  which  shameless 
men  and  brazen  women  sought  the  strong  arm  of  the 
law  to  break  and  tear  asunder  the  most  sacred  and 
binding  of  oaths.  Weeping  Weasel  learned  that 
only  a  publication  in  an  obscure  newspaper  was 


APPENDIX  B.  361 


necessary  to  satisfy  the  goddess  whom  Weeping 
Weasel  had  seen  represented  as  blind-folded,  with 
scales  in  her  hand.  Incompatibility  of  tempera- 
ment was  often  the  cause  alleged.  This  the  Indian 
could  not  understand.  Among  the  Kiowa  husbands 
and  wives  such  a  thing  was  unknown.  The  hus- 
band commanded,  the  wife  obeyed.  Weeping 
Weasel  found  after  a  time  that  this  term  was  used 
to  indicate  that  wives  had  become  tired  of  their 
husbands,  or  husbands  had  grown  weary  of  their 
wives.  It  often  meant  dishonest  and  unholy  loves, 
and  could  be  construed  as  indicative  of  a  thousand 
things  when  the  cord  that  first  bound  two  people 
together  had  become  a  gnawing,  corroding  chain  of 
iron. 

The  ignorant  savage  had  not  as  yet  found  any 
advantage  to  be  gained  from  the  civilization  of  the 
Pale-faces.  Weary  and  sick  at  heart,  the  pilgrim 
pushed  on  until  he  reached  the  chief  city  of  the 
great  nation.  He  had  begun  to  comprehend  the 
numbers  of  the  Pale-faces  and  their  strength.  His 
brain  was  confused.  He  was  so  torn  by  conflicting 
emotions  that  he  feared  his  judgment  would  be- 
come warped  and  valueless.  Arriving  in  the  great 
city,  he  learned  that  a  man  with  unlimited  power 
had  betrayed  his  trust  and  plundered  the  city's 


362  APPENDIX  B. 


treasury  of  millions.  Yet  the  blind  goddess  had 
thrown  around  him  all  possible  shields  to  cover  his 
glaring  rascality.  He  had  banded  with  him  an 
army  of  thieves.  Again  a  great  hall  of  justice  had  I 
been  the  means  used  to  rob  and  plunder  the  people 
at  will.  Before  public  exposure  the  thing  had  been 
a  byword  and  a  jest  at  the  clubs. 

The  man  who  had  done  all  this  had  risen  to 
power  from  the  ranks  of  the  common  people. 
Weeping  Weasel  wondered  if  he  had  risen  to 
power  by  his  rascality.  But  conscious  that  he  was 
ignorant  and  a  savage,  he  rejected  the  thought 
as  unmanly. 

When  a  warrior  among  the  Kiowas  betrayed  a 
public  trust  he  was  terribly  punished.  But  one 
such  case  had  ever  been  handed  down  in  the  tradi- 
tions of  their  tribe.  In  that  instance  the  culprit 
had  been  led  in  a  circle  surrounded  by  all  his  tribe 
—  every  man,  woman,  and  child  was  present  — 
the  silence  was  fearful ;  then  the  body  of  the  vic- 
tim was  covered  with  the  broad  leaves  of  the 
prickly  pear,  and  they  were  one  by  one  set  on  fire. 
The  punishment  seemed  to  have  been  effectual. 

Next  morning  our  Indian  appeared  at  the  city 
hall  to  witness  the  torture ;  again  he  waited  until 
noon,  and  as  no  steps  had  been  taken  against  the 


APPENDIX  B.  363 


wrong-doer,  he  concluded,  to  say  the  least,  that  the 
white  man  was  slow  in  punishing  criminals. 

The  Kiowas  had  always  paid  great  attention  to 
the  rearing  of  their  children,  and  especially  exer- 
cised great  care  and  foresight  over  the  girls,  who 
were  to  become  future  mothers  of  the  warriors  of 
the  tribe.  No  Indian  girl  of  six  or  twelve  years 
could  be  absent  from  her  lodge  after  the  fall  of 
evening  dew.  She  knew  no  lovers  until  she  had 
arrfved  at  the  age  and  estate  of  womanhood. 
Among  the  Pale-faces  this  custom  did  not  obtain. 
Weeping  Weasel  saw  misses  of  tender  age,  in  pina- 
fores, give  large  parties  to  other  children ;  boys 
were  invited.  He  saw  childish  eyes  sparkle  with 
bandied  jest  and  compliments  fit  only  for  mature 
years.  He  saw  children,  excited  by  the  dance,  in- 
toxicated with  music,  satiated  with  rich  food, 
spend  the  best  hours  of  the  night  in  gay  and  reck- 
less dissipation. 

At  certain  seasons  of  the  year  the  Chickasaw 
plum  furnished  much  of  the  food  used  by  his 
tribe.  If  the  pure  white  dust  was  brushed  from 
its  surface  when  half-ripe,  it  never  fruited  in 
perfection.  Weeping  Weasel  found  that  the  Pale- 
faces often  brushed  the  dust  of  the  plum  from  the 
cheek  of  childhood. 


364  APPENDIX  B. 


The  Kiowa  woman  was  to  him  the  model  of 
physical  beauty ;  her  large  waist,  broad,  strong 
shoulders,  the  strength  of  limb,  elastic,  springing 
step,  and  downcast  eyes  were  such  as  he  deemed 
fitting  for  women  who  were  to  rear  the  future 
braves  of  their  race. 

Among  the  Pale-faces  he  found  that  maternity 
was  a  burden  to  be  avoided ;  that  the  waist  was 
contracted  by  springs  of  steel ;  the  body  thrown 
forward  at  an  angle  upon  the  hips  by  strong  pieces 
of  wood  placed  under  the  heels;  the  face  was 
covered  by  a  vile  compound  which  looked  like 
flour,  or  was  painted  as  the  savage  paints  when  he 
marches  to  battle  or  prepares  for  the  sun  dance. 
Curious  to  ascertain  the  exact  value  of  all  this 
nonsense  he  made  calculation,  and  learned  that 
the  muslin  and  silk,  velvet  and  ribbons,  paint  and 
powder,  flowers  and  bits  of  steel,  amounted  to 
about  four  hundred  and  fifty-three  dollars.  That 
is  to  say,  in  the  Kiowa  computation,  forty-five  and 
a  half  horses. 

Weeping  Weasel  determined  to  be  silent  upon 
this  manifest  absurdity  of  the  Pale-face  women. 

The  Kiowa  women  wore  the  hair  straight  down 
their  backs  and  combed  away  from  their  eyes. 
The  daughters  of  the  Pale-faces  cut  theirs  short  in 


APPENDIX  B.  365 


front  and  allowed  it,  except  when  curled  by  hot 
irons,  which  the  damp  strangely  affected,  to  fall 
into  their  eyes.  The  meaning  and  mystery  of  this 
Weeping  Weasel  never  attempted  to  fathom. 

Besides  the  Great  Spirit  whom  the  Kiowas  wor- 
shiped in  common,  each  Indian  had  a  personal 
god  to  whom  alone  he  was  responsible.  This  god 
was  the  conscience  of  the  savage,  and  above  it  was 
only  the  commands  of  the  Great  Spirit.  His  reli- 
gion was  always  with  him;  it  was  his  shield  and 
strength  in  the  day  of  battle,  his  comfort  in  time 
of  peace :  he  heard  it  in  the  whispering  of  the 
wind  and  the  sighing  of  the  trees  ;  he  recognized  it 
in  the  rustle  of  the  growing  grass  and  the  ripening 
grain;  he  felt  it  in  the  songs  of  birds  and  the 
Avhirr  of  insects'  wings.  It  warned  him  in  the 
broken  watch-spring  buzz  of  the  deadly  rattle- 
snake ;  in  the  forms  of  the  clouds  he  saw  it ;  in 
tlie  flush  of  morning  and  the  darkness  of  evening 
he  knew  it.  It  was  his  only  ideal  of  the  estate  of 
future  happiness  where  game  would  be  plenty  and 
peace  eternal.  The  bark  on  which  these  mysteries 
were  written  was  to  him  sacred.  The  savage  ac- 
cepted as  truth  its  teachings,  which  long  genera- 
tions of  Kiowas  had  confirmed. 

He  went  while  in  that  city  to  hear  a  speaker — 


366  APPENDIX  B. 


silver-tongued  and  magnetic,  who  had  all  the 
graces  which  belong  to  the  polished  orator;  his 
voice  was  like  the  sound  of  bells  to  the  Indian, 
whose  nature  is  ever  open  to  the  charm  of  this 
God-like  gift.  But  he  heard  the  man  revile,  dis- 
tort, and  falsify  the  religion  of  the  white  man.  He 
heard  him  read  from  the  sacred  book,  with  laugh- 
ing mien  and  careless  jest,  most  solemn  promises. 
The  mysteries  of  the  creation  and  the  origin  of  the 
Pale-faces  became  in  the  mouth  of  this  man  as  in- 
tangible as  the  will-o'-the-wisp  he  had  seen  floating 
over  his  Southern  swamps. 

Listening  to  him,  and  applauding  to  the  echo, 
were  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Pale-faces.  Fair 
women  and  intelligent  men  accepted  as  eternal 
truth  the  words  of  the  speaker.  Weeping  Weasel 
was  ashamed,  astonished,  dismayed  !  In  this  dese- 
cration of  religion  the  wild  Indian  of  the  Southern 
plains  thought  he  could  dimly  comprehend  the 
future  downfall  of  a  great  nation. 

The  pilgrim  lost  hope.  Still  he  determined  to 
pursue  the  subject  to  its  bitter  end,  and  went  one 
bright  morning  to  the  City  of  Churches.  Business 
had  ceased,  and  the  streets  were  quiet.  In  a 
darkened  temple,  rich  with  stained  glass,  the  air 
heavy  with  burning  incense,  and  stirred  only  by 


APPENDIX  B.  367 


the  notes  of  a  great  organ  as  it  kept  time  to  the 
voices  of  boys  who  sang  in  angelic  tones  the  litany 
of  the  church,  he  heard  an  eloquent  preacher  tell 
of  the  wickedness  and  sin  of  two  great  cities ;  and 
how,  because  not  ten  righteous  men  could  be  found 
therein,  they  were  destroyed  from  the  face  of  the 
earth.  He  also  listened  to  the  story  of  the  wife 
who  looked  back,  and  was  turned  into  a  pillar  of 
salt.  The  next  morning  Weeping  Weasel  bought 
a  canopy  of  asbestos  roofing,  and  thereafter  never 
appeared  in  the  streets  of  either  of  the  cities  with- 
out carrying  it  above  his  head. 

Again  he  was  shown  the  great  marts  of  trade, 
larger  than  the  grain  exchange  of  another  city. 
Here  men  bought  and  sold  scraps  of  paper  and  the 
country's  gold.  It  was  the  same  old  scenes.  Stocks 
went  up  and  down  by  a  nod  of  the  head,  and  again 
men  were  made  poor  in  a  moment.  The  ruined 
ones  were  driven  from  the  exchange,  and  forever 
after,  with  wild  eyes  and  fevered  pulse,  they 
haunted  its  doors  and  talked,  with  the  strange  in- 
fatuation of  the  Indian  hemp-eater,  of  the  rise  and 
fall  of  the  stocks  that  had  ruined  them. 

One  terrible  day  Weeping  Weasel  saw  a  coin 
that  the  Pale-face  used  in  exchange  for  goods  be- 
come enhanced  in  value  three  times.     Wild,  hag- 


368  APPENDIX  B. 


gard  men  clung  to  railings  for  support,  so  faint 
they  could  not  stand.  Two  unprincipled  members 
of  the  exchange  were  the  agents  of  this  scheme. 
When  night  came,  the  credit  of  the  country  had 
been  nearly  ruined.  The  two  conspirators  slunk 
to  a  hotel  that  was  soon  surrounded  by  a  howling 
%iob.  Trade  and  industry  were  impaired,  commerce 
nearly  swept  from  the  sea  and  land,  and  credit 
almost  lost  by  the  act  of  those  two  men.  Weeping 
Weasel  again  determined  that  gambling  should 
forever  be  prohibited  among  his  people,  even  the 
throw  of  the  six  cherry  stones  for  a  quart  of 
Chickasaw  plums. 

Among  the  Kiowas  the  public  singer  of  the 
tribe's  heroic  deeds  was  a  warrior,  always  well 
paid  for  his  services.  He  had  the  warmest  seat  in 
the  lodge,  and  at  the  feast  of  dog-meat  the  ten- 
derest  piece ;  but  the  newspaper  man  of  the  Pale- 
faces was  lean,  ill-fed,  and  most  lightly  paid. 
Weeping  Weasel  found  that  medicines  for  the  cure 
of  all  diseases  were  sold  in  bottles,  and  that  the 
proprietors  waxed  rich.  The  savage  concluded 
that  all  the  Pale-faces  could  drink,  but  that  few 
could  read. 

In  settling  disputes  among  the  Kiowas,  all  mat- 
ters in  question  were  referred  to  a  council  com- 


APPENDIX  B.  369 


posed  of  fifteen  elders  of  the  tribe.  Each  principal 
laid  his  case  before  the  tribunal  with  all  the  clear- 
ness possible,  in  order  that  a  just  decision  might 
be  reached.  Among  the  Pale-faces  the  Indian 
found  a  class  of  men  skilled  in  the  preparation  of 
causes  in  dispute.  From  long  practice,  close  study, 
and  great  care,  these  men,  who  talked  only  of 
others'  rights  and  not  of  their  own,  had  become  so 
skillful  that  white  was  made  black,  and  black  white, 
as  each  argued  his  own  point.  Doubt  was  thrown 
upon  the  most  open  and  public  transactions.  Wit- 
nesses swore  to  the  most  improbable  events,  and 
to  occurrences  they  had  never  seen.  In  their  ha- 
rangues before  the  elders  each  quoted  the  same 
statutes  in  the  same  words,  as  applicable  to  his 
side  of  the  cause.  There  were  fierce  disputes  and 
incessant  wrangling.  Weeping  Weasel  determined 
that  this  kind  of  practice  should  never  obtain  a 
footing  in  his  tribe. 

The  Kiowas  had  always  considered  sacred  the 
life  of  each  member  of  the  tribe.  In  their  rude 
and  barbarous  code  there  was  no  deviation  from 
the  rule  of  "  blood  for  blood ;  "  it  was  as  unchange- 
able as  the  "Laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians." 
In  a  court  of  justice  Weeping  Weasel  saw  a  man 
arraigned  who   had  wantonly  slain   a  brother  by 


370  APPENDIX  B, 


sending  a  bullet  tlirongli  his  heart.  The  crime 
had  been  seen  by  many ;  there  was  no  conflicting 
evidence;  it  was  premeditated;  but  again  the  coun- 
selors covered  the  case  with  doubt.  The  murderer 
^  had  a  bright,  intelligent  face  and  an  undimmed  in- 
tellect. Weeping  Weasel  heard  him  acquitted  on 
the  ground  of  temporary  emotional  insanity.  The 
proceedings  of  that  court  were  unfit  for  the  un- 
civilized Kiowa. 

Among  the  Kiowas,  the  position  of  medicine- 
man was  one  of  great  honor  and  trust,  but  ex- 
tremely hazardous  to  the  incumbent.  When  a 
warrior  sickened  the  medicine-man  was  at  once 
summoned.  With  rude  rites,  much  beating  of 
drums  and  strange  incantations,  he  sought  to  drive 
away  the  disease.  Sometimes  he  was  unsuccessful 
and  the  patient  died.  When  the  corpse  of  his  mis- 
management was  ready  for  burial  the  medicine- 
man was  summoned,  and  he  always  came.  He  was 
divested  of  all  his  titles  to  respect,  all  the  trophies 
he  had  gained  by  successful  practice  of  physic,  and 
manfully  met  his  death  on  the  scaffold  with  his 
victim. 

Such  was  not  the  custom  among  the  Pale-faces. 
Everywhere  Weeping  Weasel  saw  gilt-lettered  signs 
of  the  medicine-man  of  the  whites ;  yet  the  Pale- 


APPENDIX  B.  371 


faces  died,  and  the  same  medicine-man  ministered 
to  anotlier.  The  savage  also  noticed  that  in  this 
strange  country  the  physician  never  attended  the 
burial  of  his  victim.  Weeping  Weasel  concluded 
that  the  death  of  the  doctor  had  once  been  a 
custom  among  the  Pale-faces,  but  having  fallen 
into  disuse  the  fraternity  attended  no  funerals  for 
fear  it  might  be  revived. 

Among  the  medicine-men  of  the  Pale-faces, 
Weeping  Weasel  found  a  class  who  with  pictures 
and  posters  attracted  the  eye  to  fabulous  certifi- 
cates of  wonderful  cures.  They  resided  in  great 
houses  wherein  were  all  comforts,  and  where,  with 
endless  noise  and  show,  they  professed  to  cure  all 
diseases  by  water,  by  physic,  by  pills,  by  powders, 
by  plasters,  by  new  and  strange  remedies,  even  by 
the  laying  on  of  hands.  He  found  that  while  regu- 
lar practitioners  were  allowed  to  live,  these  people 
fared  better  even  than  they.  They  waxed  fat  and 
grew  rich  upon  the  credulity  of  an  ignorant  public. 
They  lived  and  moved  in  the  open  glare  of  the 
noonday  sun.  After  all  he  had  seen,  Weeping 
Weasel  ceased  to  wonder  at  the  strange  epidemics 
that  sometimes  prevailed  among  the  Pale-faces. 

He  saw  long  trains,  drawn  by  the  mysterious 
Pongo  man,  and  managed  by  underpaid  and  care- 


372  APPENDIX    B. 


less  workmen,  collide  with  other  trains,  and  as  a 
result  men  and  women  were  killed  and  children 
maimed  ;  yet  no  one  was  punished. 

Our  pilgrim  now  turned  his  face  toward  the 
capital  of  i;he  great  nation.  One  of  the  three 
horrible  shapes  shown  him  by  Stone-Shirt  must 
inevitably  become  his.  But  he  did  not  look  back. 
Civilization  had  caused  him  to  think  of  the 
exhortations  of  the  Pale-faced  preacher.  He  "  re- 
membered Lot's  wife." 

The  Massachusetts  school  teachers  had  displayed 
in  rude  letters  on  the  walls  of  the  lodge  in  which 
they  taught  this  text  from  the  scriptures :  "  The 
wicked  flee  when  no  man  pursueth."  In  the  city 
in  which  Weeping  Weasel  had  just  arrived  he 
found  that  an  officer  of  the  Pale-face  warriors  was 
a  defaulter  to  the  sum  of  many  thousands  of  the 
coins  of  his  people.  He  was  shamefully  untrue ! 
His  position  and  name  had  been  used  to  further  de- 
fraud. There  were  no  extenuating  circumstances  — 
there  could  be  none.  But  the  officer  escaped,  and 
no  one  followed  and  brought  him  back.  Weeping 
Weasel  was  glad  that  he  had  burned  the  teachers 
at  the  stake,  for  he  concluded  they  had  willfully 
misrepresented  the  text  hung  upon  the  walls  of  the 
lodge,  and  that  it  should  have  read,  "  No  man  pur- 
sueth  when  the  wicked  flee." 


APPENDIX  B.  373 


In  the  Kiowa  tribe  all  the  councils  were  held 
and  the  proceedings  argued  in  a  grave  and  digni- 
fied manner.  The  pipe,  signifying  good  will  and 
friendship,  was  first  passed  around.  Each  warrior 
touched  it  with  his  lips.  That  day  on  the  banks 
of  the  Eed  Eiver,  when  Weeping  Weasel  attempted 
to  tell  me  of  the  councils  of  the  elders  of  the  white 
man,  his  breath  was  short,  and  much  of  what  he 
said  was  lost. 

In  that  city  he  was  told  offices  were  bargained 
for ;  the  daughters  of  the  Pale-faces  solicited  them 
for  their  husbands  and  friends.  He  saw  a  cabinet 
minister  fall  from  his  high  place  through  the  sale 
of  paltry  positions. 

Worn,  harassed  and  broken  in  spirit,  his  pilgrim- 
age useless,  as  no  good  could,  in  his  opinion,  come 
to  the  savage  from  the  white  man's  civilization, 
Weeping  Weasel  turned  his  face  towards  the  set- 
ting sun.  He  traveled  as  before,  sleeping  at  night 
under  the  stars,  and  again  his  drink  came  from 
limpid  streams  ;  but  his  food  was  procured  by  a 
revolver  and  magazine  gun  of  the  Pale-faces. 
Civilization  had  taught  him  the  deadly  effect  of 
these  weapons  which  he  afterward  used  upon  his 
enemies  and  the  Pale-faces  themselves. 

He  returned  to  his  tribe.     His  coming  was  seen 


374  APPENDIX  B. 


from  afar.  Without  a  word  he  entered  his  lodge  : 
he  had  no  greeting  for  his  faithful  wives  who 
clustered  around  him. 

Three  days  passed,  and  then  Weeping  Weasel 
told  to  his  people  the  story  of  his  pilgrimage,  told 
what  he  had  seen  and  heard,  and  the  conclusions 
he  had  drawn  therefrom.  With  barbarous  splen- 
dor he  was  tried  for  the  crime  of  falsehood,  which 
is  capital  among  Indians,  all  the  men,  women  and 
children  of  the  tribe  serving  as  judges. 

In  a  great  amphitheater  of  rock,  at  the  junction 
of  the  Pecos  with  the  Rio  Bravo  del  Norte,  where 
the  swift  rush  and  meeting  of  the  two  rivers  forms 
a  whirlpool  from  which  nothing  can  escape,  the 
public  trials  of  the  tribe  were  held,  the  people  sit- 
ting for  days  in  solemn  judgment.  If  sentence  of 
death  was  decreed  the  body  was  thrown  into  this 
fearful  eddy,  and  watched  by  all  the  tribe  as  it 
whirled,  leaped,  and  sprang  in  the  boiling  water 
until  its  final  disappearance.  ; 

For  generations  and  generations  the  gray  and  1 
frowning  rocks,  had  witnessed  the  trials  of  offenders 
among  the  Kiowas.  On  one  side  rose  sloping  to 
the  bluff  a  half-circle  of  trees.  So  thickly  grew 
the  branches  of  those  pines  and  cedars  that  but 
scant  sunlight  could  filter  through  them.     Custom 


APPENDIX  B,  375 


had  decreed  that  if,  at  the  moment  of  passing  sen- 
tence, a  ray  of  light  should  penetrate  those  thickly- 
mingled  branches  and  fall  upon  the  face  of  the 
criminal,  one-half  of  the  sentence  should  be  re- 
mitted. 

The  trial  was  as  great  as  the  occasion.  Eagle 
Face,  the  oldest  medicine-man  of  the  tribe,  was 
master  of  ceremonies.  Flowing  Hair,  the  favorite 
wife  of  Weeping  Weasel,  who  had  at  one  time, 
during  five  days  of  starvation,  fed  her  first-born 
boy  with  blood  drawn  from  her  breast,  was  there, 
but  silent,  in  her  great  fear,  as  became  an  Indian 
woman.  Circumstances  were  against  the  pilgrim. 
Those  wild  savages  could  by  no  argument  be 
brought  to  believe  that  there  were  such  uncivilized 
people  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  If  it  were  true, 
how  could  they  live  together?  It  was  decided 
that  sentence  of  death  must  be  passed. 

The  chief,  proud  and  defiant,  took  his  stand 
against  the  half -circle  of  trees.  Below,  the  pool 
wafi  lashing  itself  into  anger  from  a  rising  river. 
Flowing  Hair  had  thrown  herself  at  his  feet  as 
if  to  interpose  her  womanly  strength  against  the 
dread  sentence  of  an  undeviating  Indian  code.  At 
that  moment  a  broad,  imprisoned  ray  of  light  that 
had  been  entangled  among  the  pines  escaped  and 


376  APPENDIX  B. 


fell,  in  all  its  trembling  warmth  and  pitying  ten- 
derness, upon  the  face  of  the  wild  Indian  who  had 
told  the  truth.  In  its  soft  caress  it  embraced  the 
form  of  his  fainting  squaw. 

Weeping  Weasel  escaped  capital  punishment,  but 
was  deposed  from  civil  authority  over  the  Kiowas, 
and  was  only  obeyed  as  their  supreme  war-chief. 
His  sentence  further  banished  him,  when  stricken 
by  death,  from  his  tribe  and  from  burial  with  his 
brethren.  This  was  why  I  found  him  while  dying, 
surrounded  only  by  his  family,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Eed  Eiver. 

On  the  night  of  his  death,  to  comfort  a  poor, 
dying  soul,  whose  future  seemed  bright  enough  — 
although  his  religion  was  not  mine  —  I  told  him, 
in  the  sign  language,  which  his  glazed  and  closing 
eyes  could  but  dimly  see,  that,  in  my  opinion,  his 
tribe  was  nearer  civilization  than  he  dreamed> 
since  to  advanced  ideas  his  sentence  seemed  just, 
'  and  that  he  had  only  suffered  the  fate  of  all 
reformers. 


f  v;(;.^^^,; 


■;--V'U^?,'-'vV^-,vv^i 


